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November 30, 2006

Warm days weren't your imagination

This month has been the warmest November in Rhode Island in nearly 60 years and the second-warmest on record.

The average temperature last month at T.F. Green Airport, as of Wednesday, was 48.9 degrees, which was 4.9 degrees higher than normal, according to the National Weather Service.

Only one other November on record was warmer. November 1948 had an average temperature of 49.8 degrees.

Those higher temperatures translated into a reduction in heating costs by an average of 24 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

“Part of the reason is the unseasonably-cold air has been locked up in western Canada,” said Neal Strauss, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass. He also suggested that global warming may be a factor.

“If you just go back to 1990, we’re headed in a direction that would indicate global warming,” Strauss said. Six of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1990.

Get current weather conditions and forecasts...

-- Journal staff writer Timothy C. Barman

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:25 PM | Comment

Woonsocket man charged in friends' deaths denied driving

PROVIDENCE — The man charged with the death of three of his friends initially denied being the driver of the car that launched through a Woonsocket intersection and crashed into a tree last month, according to testimony presented today in the suspect's first court appearance in nearly a month.

Police believe that Patrick G. Coyle, 21, of 41 Congress St., Woonsocket, was the driver of the car and that he was under the influence of alcohol when he crashed. Coyle has been charged with three counts of driving to endanger, death resulting, three counts of driving under the influence; and one count of driving with a suspended license.

But today's hearing was primarily focused on a probation violation. At the time of the crash Coyle was serving an eight-year suspended sentence for a 2005 drug charge. If prosecutors prove that Coyle broke the law, they can seek to have him serve part or all of the eight-year sentence.

Among those who testified for the prosecution today was Woonsocket firefighter Steven Encarnation, one of the first to arrive at the scene on Oct. 29. He told prosecutors that Coyle said he was sitting in the back seat of the car at the time of the accident, even though Encarnation saw him in the driver’s seat when he arrived.

After pulling himself out of the driver’s side window, Coyle also told rescue personnel that Travis Trifault -- who was found dead in the front passenger seat -- was driving at the time of the accident, and that he and his friends were at Amvets Post 7 before the accident.

-- Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Appearing in court in handcuffs today, Coyle said little but often turned to look at his family members.

The single-car crash at 10:45 p.m. at the intersection of Winter Street and Harris Avenue, near the entrance to Cold Spring Park, claimed the lives of brothers Victor and Steven Vasquez, 24 and 21, and Travis Thifault, 20.

Photographs the prosecution showed during the hearing showed the mangled white car lying upside-down and nearly flattened by the impact.

-- Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:22 PM | Comment

Bishop to stay in hospital 'at least another day'

PROVIDENCE -- It looks like the Rev. Thomas J. Tobin won't be leaving the hospital in the immediate future.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence will stay in Our Lady of Fatima Hospital "for at least another day, likely longer, for ongoing treatment and evaluation of pain he is experiencing in his back," according to a brief statement released this afternoon by the Diocese of Providence.

Tobin was admitted to the hospital Tuesday afternoon "following consecutive days of back pain," according to the Diocese.

"The bishop expresses his gratitude for the many prayers and well wishes he has received throughout the week," reads the statement.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:04 PM | Comment

Common Cause nudges Assembly over separation of powers

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Peter Hufstader, research director of Common Cause of Rhode Island, announces the release of a progress report on separation of powers today. Looking on is Christine Lopes, the new executive director of Common Cause.

PROVIDENCE – The General Assembly isn’t finished implementing separation of powers, and the advocacy group Common Cause held a press conference today to remind the Assembly of just that.

"The bottom line is that progress is being made, but we’re not done," Common Cause of Rhode Island’s new executive director, Christine Lopes, said. She later added, "We’re dealing with something that no other state has dealt with in over 200 years. It’s going to take time."

The Common Cause event focused on annual reports from state agencies – a part of separation of powers that the Assembly isn’t ready to tackle just yet, said state Rep. Elaine M. Coderre, D-Pawtucket, who chairs the House Committee on Separation of Powers.

In an interview after the press conference, Coderre said Common Cause is "getting a little bit ahead" of what her committee can handle. However, she said she appreciates the group's research and advocacy on the issue.

The Assembly has not yet addressed several important boards, in part because Common Cause strongly opposed proposals for how to reconstitute those boards during the 2006 legislative session.

There are sure to be fireworks during the 2007 session over what those boards, which include the Narragansett Bay Commission and the Coastal Resources Management Council, should look like.

But today's focus was on the reporting requirement. Part of the reason for removing legislators from the boards is that the legislative branch is supposed to perform an oversight function – that is, oversee the executive branch, which includes the boards in question – as part of the checks and balances between the three branches of government.

-- Journal staff writer Elizabeth Gudrais

All of the boards are required to file reports, but not all the requirements specify what the reports should contain, or who’s supposed to read them or respond when a board misses a filing deadline.

In order for the oversight function to work, the reports "must be submitted, someone must enforce compliance, and someone must verify the contents and follow up if necessary," Common Cause research director Peter Hufstader said.

A constitutional amendment to require that Rhode Island’s three branches of state government be "separate and distinct" was approved by 78 percent of voters in 2004. Since then, the most visible aspect of the measure’s implementation has been removing legislators from state boards and commissions.

The Assembly removed lawmakers from 50 boards and repealed 13 more boards that were inactive. Still, work remains to be done on that step.

-- Journal staff writer Elizabeth Gudrais

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:02 PM | Comment

R.I. officials: Time to roll up your sleeves for flu shots

PROVIDENCE -- A bevy of high-ranking state and federal health officials today urged Rhode Islanders to roll up their sleeves and get flu shots before peak flu season hits.

"Getting the flu causes even healthy people to miss work, disrupts their lives, and has important consequences for society,’’ Dr. David R.Gifford, director of the Rhode Island Health Department, said at a State House press conference today.

Gifford said it is especially important for health care workers, children younger than 5 years old, adults 50 or older, pregnant women and anyone with a chronic medical condition, including asthma, heart disease or diabetes.

"The good news is that it is not too late to vaccinate. This year there is plenty of flu vaccine available in the state and getting vaccinated in December, January or even later, will still provide significant protection against the flu,’’ Gifford said.

Find out more about flu, its symptoms and how to prevent it, from the state Department of Health.

-- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:49 PM | Comment

State Christmas tree may survive this year

PROVIDENCE -- So far, Rhode Island's official Christmas tree is a success. That is, the state hasn't killed it.

Guided by a stringent fire code, State House workers last year subjected an 18-foot spruce to an overnight drying before commercial fans. Then they showered it with fire retardant. The tree dropped its needles and died beneath the Capitol rotunda days before Christmas.

This year, new rules allowed workers to skip the fans and chemicals.

But they still require a fire marshal to inspect large, public buildings before a Christmas tree can go up. Lights must meet industry safety standards, and extra fire extinguishers have to be close by.

The rules also require a start-to-finish watering schedule.

The public is invited to a State House tree-lighting ceremony planned for 5:30 p.m. tomorrow. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on hand, as will a story teller and an arts and crafts table for children. Cider and gingerbread cookies will be served.

-- Staff and wire reports

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:35 PM | Comment

Update: Judge won't waive Derderians' $1 million fine

PROVIDENCE -- A federal bankruptcy judge refused to wipe out Michael and Jeffrey Derderians' $1.06 million fine this afternoon as part of The Station nightclub coowners' bankruptcy proceedings.

The Derderians did not have the required workers compensation insurance for their employees the night of the February 2003 fire that killed 100 people and injured another 200. The state fined them $1.06 million as a result.

Their lawyers argued today that the fines should be wiped out as part of the brothers' bankruptcy proceedings. But a lawyer for the government said that federal statutes don't allow government fines to be discharged in bankruptcy cases.

The judge agreed, noting that federal statutes clearly exempt government fines from bankruptcy proceedings.

The issue now goes back to the state workers compensation court. Two years ago, a judge there ruled that the Derderians' were personally liable for the fine. The Derderian's had planned to appeal that decision, but the appeal was delayed while the bankruptcy judge decided the case that was heard today.

Now, a three-judge panel of the workers compensation court will hear the Derderians' appeal of the original decision that they were personally liable for the $1.06 million fine. Whichever way the appeals board decides, the issue is expected to end up in the state Supreme Court.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from Journal staff writer Lynn Arditi

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:17 PM | Comment

Ceremony marks Galilee dredging project / Photo

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
A fishing boat travels into the channel leading into Galilee and the Harbor of Refuge in Narragansett today, when a ceremony to kick off its dredging was held at the nearby Salty Brine State Beach Parking lot.

NARRAGANSETT -- The Harbor of Refuge in Point Judith is home to one of the nation’s most productive fishing fleets, the Block Island ferry, and serves as hallowed grounds to legions of recreational boaters and fishermen.

Today, as trawlers passed and a seal bobbed in the water nearby, state, local and federal officials marked the start of work to dredge sand and silt from the port’s channels. The fruits of that effort will then be dumped off Matunuck, in hopes it will replenish Roy Carpenter’s and other beaches stripped by coastal storms.

"This community depends so much upon this channel,’’ said U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., at a brief ceremony at Salty Brine State Beach.

The dredging is expected to begin Dec. 15 and last until mid-March.

Three years in the making, the project has entailed coordination between the state Coastal Resources Management Council and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as well as the towns of Narragansett and South Kingstown -- who were all represented today.

The work will include removing 90,000 cubic yards of sand and sediment from about 20 acres encompassing the harbor channels and anchorage areas. Natural shoaling in the entrance and the east and west branch channels as well as the 6-foot channel leading into Point Judith Pond is making navigation hazardous, according to the Army Corps.

The dredging will be done by a hopper or mechanical dredge. A dump scowl will then, within days, be towed to two designated disposal sites in the inter-tidal zone off Matunuck.

A storm ate away at Roy Carpenter’s Beach just before Halloween, leaving barely 20 feet of sand between the beach community and the water. Last year, a series of storms destroyed a snack shop there and a wooden boardwalk at South Kingstown Town Beach.

"We are in desperate need of sand,’’ said Tom Pyne, president of Carpenter’s beach association.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

The Corps abandoned plans to place the dredged sand at East Matunuck State Beach out of concern that the replenished beach would attract piping plovers, an endangered shorebird.

The dumping grounds were shifted to two spots off Matunuck after lobbying by the town and a letter writing campaign by beachgoers at Carpenter’s. The material has tested as clean and would be dropped in water that is 15 to 18 feet deep at low tide, said Michael Walsh, project manager for the Army Corps.

Pyne said he realizes that placing the dredged material off the coast doesn’t offer an absolute solution, but he hopes that at the very least it will slow the wave action. "It’s a crap shoot, but it can’t hurt,’’ he said.

A total of $2.2 million in federal funds has been designated for the Point Judith project, $334,000 of which would go toward the disposal, according to federal officials.
The Army Corps awarded a $1.5 million contract to Newborn Construction Inc., of Center Moriches, N.Y., in October.

The towns of South Kingstown and Narragansett are sponsoring the project with the CRMC. The work will be overseen by the Corps.

Maintenance dredging was last done on the Harbor of Refuge in 1977, when approximately 72,000 cubic yards of material was removed.

Walsh said the work shouldn’t interfere with ferry and other boat traffic in the harbor.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 2:40 PM | Comment

Rhode Island makes 'Fatal Fifteen' for third year

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island has earned the unwanted distinction of making the "Fatal Fifteen" list for the third consecutive year, meaning that the Ocean State has one of the highest rates of alcohol-related fatalities in the nation.

Nearly half of all roadway fatalities in Rhode Island -- 43 of 87 -- reported last year were alcohol-related, according to the statistics gathered by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The "Fatal Fifteen" list was compiled and released today by a physician-led advocacy group called End Needless Death on Our Roadways.

“Motorists are facing an epidemic of death on our roadways, and tragically, many of
these fatalities and serious injuries could have been prevented,” said Andrea Barthwell, the group's co-chair and a former official in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, in a statement.

Perhaps the only good news for the state is that Rhode Island has slipped from the top spot on the list -- an unwelcome distinction it held for the previous two years. In this year's report, Rhode Island is ranked third worst in the nation for alcohol-related fatalities, behind Washington, D.C., and Hawaii.

Rhode Island actually reported one more alcohol-related death last year than the year before. But its overall percentage of alcohol-related deaths dropped slightly because there were four more deaths reported.

Rhode Island is the only New England state in this year's top 10. Connecticut is ranked 11th, Vermont 21st and Massachusetts 25th.

State lawmakers passed a law this year raising the penalties for drivers who refuse to submit to a chemical test for alcohol, doubling the minimum license suspension for the first offense from three to six months.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:15 PM | Comment

Fortunato denies stay, ballot issue to Supreme Court

PROVIDENCE -- Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato today refused to stay yesterday's ruling that the state Board of Elections must release photocopies of rejected ballots for public inspection.

The board appealed to Fortunato this morning seeking to delay his order pending a state Supreme Court review. The board's attorney argued that allowing the public to view ballots would compromise the objectivity of the election process and could be extremely time consuming.

But Fortunato refused to comply with the request.

The Board of Elections has already asked the state Supreme Court to weigh in, but an emergency hearing this week is unlikely, according to court spokesman Craig Berke.

East Providence Mayor Joseph Larisa Jr. is asking to review 96 problem ballots that were photocopied during a recount earlier in the week. He trails his challenger by 16 votes and hopes the inclusion of some rejected ballots could give him an edge.

The Supreme Court has already ruled that the rejected ballots must be photocopied, but did not say the public could review them to argue for their inclusion in the final vote tally.

East Providence officials have scheduled an inauguration ceremony tomorrow. They plan to proceed even without the certification of the final city council spot. The ultimate winner of that race would be sworn in later.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from Journal Staff Writer Alisha A. Pina

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:51 PM | Comment

Update: Man to serve 40 years for killing 2-year-old / Photo

Journal photo / Kathy Borchers
Michelle Thurmon, the mother of 2-year-old murder victim Marquel Davis, cries in court after she makes her statement. "When they took Marquel, they took my spirit," Thurmon told Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause.

PROVIDENCE – A Superior Court judge today sentenced a Providence man to 60 years, with 40 to serve in the Adult Correctional Institutions, for the August 2005 killing of 2-year-old Marquel Davis.

Akeem King, 21, or 9 Erastus St., was found guilty last month of second-degree murder.

Today in court, Judge Robert D. Krause said the defendant “essentially used this youngster as a football.”

The child’s mother wept as she addressed the court.

“Marquel will only have his past. He will never have a future … ” Michelle Thurmon said. “When they took Marquel, they took my spirit. I wish they took me instead.”

The co-defendant in the brutal beating of the toddler has not yet come to trial. Troy Figgs, King’s roommate at the time of the murder, is scheduled to appear in court for a pre-trial hearing next week.

Thurmon, who worked as a prostitute for Figgs, had left the toddler in the care of the two men the night he was killed.

“I understand that what happened was terrible,” King said when he addressed the court this morning. “I want to apologize to Michelle.”

The prosecutor, Asst. Atty. Gen. Scott Erickson, asked Judge Robert D. Krause to impose a life sentence on King. The toddler was beaten and bruised all over his body, Erickson said, with bruises so deep that the boy’s muscles were bleeding.

Defense lawyer Mark L. Smith asked the judge to impose a sentence of 50 years, with 30 to serve.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:33 PM | Comment

Schilling, on radio, defends J.D. Drew

Curt Schilling today passionately defended the Red Sox' expected signing of free agent outfielder J.D. Drew, whose potential acquisition has been criticized in both fan and media circles.

Appearing on WEEI Radio's "Dennis and Callahan Show," Schilling called Drew "a five-tool player . . . the likes of which have rarely been seen [in Boston]." Drew is thought by some to be too injury-prone and laid-back to succeed in a passionate market such as Boston, but Schilling said a player's outward demeanor wasn't a true measuring stick of his talent or desire. He compared Drew in that regard to Eddie Murray, a Hall of Fame first baseman who also was quiet and, as a result, whose dedication to the game was sometimes questioned.

Schilling made his comments because he said he was troubled by a growing public outcry -- mostly on sports-talk radio -- that was condemning Drew before he arrived.

More on this story later in the day.

-- Art Martone

Posted by Mike McDermott at 10:49 AM | Comment

R.I. misses jackpot, but does OK in PowerBall

Rhode Island missed out on last night's $74.5 million PowerBall jackpot, but $450,000 worth of winning tickets were sold in Rhode Island, according to the Rhode Island Lottery.

The $74.5 million jackpot was hit in North Carolina, but two $200,000 and five $10,000 winning tickets were purchased in Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Lottery said.

The two $200,000 winning tickets were purchased at Stateline Tobacco in Tiverton and AJ's Mini Mart in Woonsocket.

The five $10,000 winning tickets were sold at Tavares News, Pawtucket; Stop N Save, Harrisville; Dave's Marketplace, Warwick; Cumberland Farms, Central Falls; and Smokin' Joe's, Tiverton.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:30 AM | Comment

A life on the edge

The man was ready to jump from the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge this morning when the police got there.

As officers climbed over a cement barrier to get closer, the man, in his 30s, stepped on the outside of the railing. He was on the bad side of the bridge, as the police say.

Daniel Silva, 27, was among the first police officers to get there at 4:30 this morning. On the North Kingstown force for just 2 ½ years, Silva had never worked with somebody ready to commit suicide.

Silva tried to develop a rapport. What's your name? Why are you up here? Let me help. He was searching for a reason for the man not to jump.

"Back up," the man said.

Silva moved back: "We told him we had to get out of the lane of travel, because at that point, there was still some traffic" on the bridge, Silva said.

The bridge was soon closed.

A couple of times, the man let go of the railing. With his back to the water, he'd turn and look behind him, "contemplating whether he was going to do it or not," Silva said.

Silva just kept him talking. And he inched closer.

"Back up," the man would say. Silva would.

Inch closer, Silva kept thinking. And he did.

"Eventually, I was able to sit on a guardrail," Silva said. "He told me to back up, but I was able to divert his attention" and get even closer.

At one point, the man let go of the railing: "He almost slipped and caught himself, and he was scared," Silva said. "It gave you the feeling that he didn't necessarily want to go over."

The man stopped telling Silva to back up.

"That's when I grabbed him and pulled him toward me," Silva said.

Then the other officers, who'd also been moving closer, took hold of the man, too.

"It was almost like he wanted to be grabbed at that point," Silva said.

The man, whose name wasn't released, has been taken to South County Hospital.

Silva has gone home, to "go to bed," he said, after his midnight to 8 a.m. shift.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:35 AM | Comment

R.I. working to prevent methamphetamine use

State law enforcement officials and drug treatment professionals today, on National Methamphetamine Awareness Day, say they are taking steps to prevent methamphetamine use in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch says he will, for the second year, submit a bill to the General Assembly that would increase penalties for the manufacture and possession of methamphetamine.

Lynch is also joining with U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente; the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals; the Rhode Island Department of Health, and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in forming a Methamphetamine Working Group.

A news conference has been scheduled for 10 a.m. in Cranston to announce the working group.

"Although Rhode Island has been spared, to date, from the proliferation of
methamphetamine manufacturing and abuse that has wreaked devastation and spiked crime in many sections of our country, we must, and do, recognize the presence of meth in our state," Lynch said in a statement. "It's incumbent on us to address and attack the manufacturing and use of this highly addictive drug on many fronts -- through education, law enforcement, and our judicial system."

National Methamphetamine Awareness Day, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, is a coordinated effort to reach potential meth users with a message of prevention and to educate users about the programs available to them, according to the attorney general's office.

Lynch's office cites several statistics to demonstrate the prevalence of methamphetamine use and the problems it causes: In 2004, there were more than 600,000 methamphetamine users nationwide. According to the National Study on Drug Use and Health more than 12 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried the drug. In a 2005 survey conducted by the National Association of Counties, 47 percent of hospitals stated that methamphetamine caused more emergency room visits than any other drug.

Lynch says Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma and other states have seen a sharp decrease in methamphetamine production since enacting tougher legislation.

"Meth, like other illegal drugs, is a systemic problem that takes a terrible toll on our young people and our families, tearing at the fabric of our society, causing damage, pain, and heartbreak, and putting a severe and costly strain on our institutions," Lynch said. "We have to be more proactive in confronting meth on many levels, with legislation to stiffen penalties foremost among them."

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:50 AM | Comment

Common Cause to review progress on separation of powers

PROVIDENCE -- A government watchdog group plans this morning to evaluate lawmakers' progress in implementing the separation of powers amendment.

More than three-quarters of Rhode Island voters approved a constitutional change in 2004 keeping legislators who make state law from serving on the agencies that implement them. That concept is commonly called separation of powers.

This time last year, Common Cause of Rhode Island reported that the General Assembly still hadn't restructured 52 such boards. That count included the Narragansett Bay Commission and the Coastal Resources Management Council.

Common Cause's report will be released at a 10 a.m. news conference.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:21 AM | Comment

A balmy day with temps climbing into the 60s

The temperature should climb into the 60s today, but fall short of the record for the day of 68 degrees set in 1933, according to the National Weather Service.

Still, today's expected high of 63 degrees in Providence would be 16 degrees above the normal high of 47 and a whole 50 degrees above the record low set for this day -- a pretty chilly 13 degrees -- back in 1936.

The day is starting out with patchy fog, which should clear after 9 a.m., and partly cloudy skies.

There's a chance of showers tonight, mainly after 3 a.m.

For more weather information, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:05 AM | Comment

November 29, 2006

It's SRO outside Lupo's for WBRU's annual bash

PROVIDENCE -- Hundreds of music fans were standing in line this evening to get into Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel to see WBRU's annual birthday bash.

Just before 7 p.m., the concert-goers were wrapped around the block from Washington Street to Fountain Street.

The show features the band My Chemical Romance and has been sold out for weeks. But because Lupo's doesn't offer reserved seating, fans get in line early to get a good spot inside the club, which holds about 1,200 people.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:12 PM | Comment

Nurses union at Landmark ratifies contract

WOONSOCKET — Unionized nurses and health employees at Landmark Medical Center approved a new three-year contract today after working without an agreement nearly two months.

The pact with United Nurses & Allied Professionals Union Local 5067, approved by what negotiators on both sides deemed an “overwhelming” margin, calls for minimal increases in health insurance co-payments and salary increases of 3, 3.5 and 4 percent over three years.

It also gives the Landmark’s 460 union employees the option of moving to a defined-contribution pension plan, where the employer gives money to the employee to invest in a retirement fund.

The new contract is retroactive to September and runs through September 2009.

-- Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:56 PM | Comment

Cranston mayor-elect asks dept. heads to resign

CRANSTON -- Mayor-elect Michael Napolitano has asked all municipal department heads to submit a letter of resignation and, if they would like to retain their positions, a resume and statement explaining why they should be kept.

Napolitano was officially declared the winner of the seat Monday, and his challenger, Allan Fung, conceded the close race yesterday, three weeks after the election.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:40 PM | Comment

Elections official: 'The people ... should be outraged'

PROVIDENCE -- The state Board of Elections voted unanimously this afternoon to appeal a Superior Court judge's ruling that the public may inspect photocopies of rejected ballots and argue to have them counted.

Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. ruled today in favor of East Providence city council candidate Joseph Larisa Jr. who sought access to rejected ballots that he says may make a difference in his race. He trails his opponent by 16 votes.

The Board of Elections held a 4 p.m. meeting following Fortunato's hearing. A board attorney had argued that public inspection of ballots would compromise the objectivity of state elections.

"The people of Rhode Island should be outraged," said board chairman Thomas V. Iannitti of Fortunato's decision. "This is the most offensive thing I’ve encountered since I’ve been here...Maybe [Fortunato] should have come down and watched the process. He doesn’t even know the process.”

An attorney for the Board of Elections will attend a Superior Court hearing tomorrow at 11 a.m. to ask Fortunato to stay his decision pending a review by the state Supreme Court. In the meantime, the board has refused to release copies of the rejected ballots in the East Providence race.

The Supreme Court already ruled that the state Board of Elections must photocopy rejected ballots, but it didn't say that such ballots could be viewed by the public.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from Journal staff writer Alisha Pina

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:59 PM | Comment

Station evidence: Next release to be 50 to 60 DVDs

PROVIDENCE -- A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said this afternoon that the 3,000 or so documents released today represent "just a downpayment" of the total evidence to be released in association with The Station fire case.

"The attorney general made a pledge to make as much of the evidence and other information about The Station fire available as quickly as possible. Today’s release really represents just a downpayment,” spokesman Michael Healey said.

“We’re putting the documents out there for public consumption. We’re not offering our interpretation of their relative importance or lack thereof. People are going to have to make up their own minds. We would respectfully urge people to wait until everything that can be made public is made public before forming their opinions.”

Healey said that the next installment of evidence released will consist largely of videos of bands that had played at The Station or amateur footage shot the night of the fire. The videos would fill 50 to 60 DVDs. They are expected to be released next week or the week after.

People who want to request a free copy of the CD-ROM of documents released today may call 401-274-4400, ext. 2328. The attorney general has not determined how to distribute videos to the general public.

More about today's release of evidence ...

-- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:30 PM | Comment

Man who died in fall at Fall River pier was from Mass.

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- Police today identified the man who died Monday night when he fell from a fishing boat into the waters around the State Pier.

Shawn Owen, 50, of Gloucester, Mass., fell from the boat he was working on at about 11 pm. Police originally identified the victim as a Rhode Island man.

Two security guards saw the accident on a surveillance system but couldn't find Owen in the darkness. In a subsequent search, police pulled his body from the water. Owen was pronounced dead at the scene.

Lt. Jeffrey Cardoza said the cause of death is not yet known pending an autopsy by the medical examiner's office.

-- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:27 PM | Comment

Station evidence: Employee knew of band's pyro plan

Documents released today confirm for the first time that at least one employee of The Station nightclub knew of the band's plan to use pyrotechnics as part of the Great White show.

A part-time nightclub employee, David Stone, told authorities that prior to the show he met with the band's floor manager whom he knew as Dan (later confirmed to be Daniel Biechele).

"During this meeting Dan told David Stone that he would be using pyrotechnics which he described as 'gerbs,'" reads an affadavit signed by West Warwick Police Det. Sgt. Keith C. Azverde. "'Dan' stated that he then wanted the stage to go dark when the gerbs would light briefly. He was told that after the gerbs went out he should use his discretion in what sort of light show he wanted to do."

"Mr. Stone stated that he followed the instructions of Dan and the gerbs ignited as stated. He said that they were large and lasted longer than he expected. He stated they ignited the acoustic foam and that he pulled the fire alarm and exited the building through the kitchen exit."

The club owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, have consistently denied knowledge of the band's plan to use pyrotechnics the night of the February 2003 fire that killed 100 people and injured another 200.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:00 PM | Comment

Reed, Dems push Bush to name envoy to Iraq

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jack Reed and the Senate's new Democratic leadership team
called upon President Bush today to name a special envoy to push Iraq's government toward actions that might help to salvage the situation in that war-wracked nation.

``Time is of the essence,'' Reed told reporters as he released a letter in which leading Democrats asked Mr. Bush to follow up on his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki by insisting on "immediate, tangible ways to quell the violence, provide services, and create long-term peace and stability.''

The U.S. and Iraq "can't afford to wait" until the expected January release of a bipartisan commission's report on possible options for a new course in Iraq, Reed said.

The Democrats commended Mr. Bush for meeting with Maliki in Jordan and urged
him to tell the prime minister "that the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq is
not open-ended and that the American people are impatient with the failure
of the Iraqi political leaders to reach a political compromise."

Read the letter.

Reed said in an interview after the news conference that Mr. Bush's meeting
with Maliki is one of several apparent signals that the administration seeks
to chart a new course in Iraq. But Reed warned that the high-level meeting
may not amount to more than "a photo opportunity" unless the president
moves quickly to secure concrete results in the form of political action by
the Iraqis.

Reed and his fellow Democrats renewed their call for several specific actions that he described as ``difficult but necessary'' to create a basis for political stability among Iraq's competing ethnic and religious groups.

The letter was signed by Reed and these fellow Democrats: incoming Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, incoming Majority Whip Dick Durbin of
Illinois, incoming Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin of Michigan,
and incoming Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller of West
Virginia.

Reed said during the news conference that he has believed for months that the majority of the violence in Iraq is now attributable not to such foreign terrorist groups as Al Qaeda but to the struggle among Iraqi groups for control of the country and its future. Reed says that struggle meets the "classic" definition of civil war.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:00 PM | Comment

Station evidence: Door left in place despite admonishing

Two employees of The Station nightclub told investigators after the deadly fire that they knew there was an “issue” with an exit door located to the right of the stage that opened inward against state code.

Nevertheless, on the night of the fire, the door was in place, without a doorknob. To open the door, people had to put their fingers in a small hole where the knob had been, according to documents released today.

The exit door was in place to suppress noise, the employees told inspectors, West Warwick Police Det. Sgt. Keith C. Azverde wrote in an affidavit in support of a search warrant.

West Warwick Building Inspector Steve Murray told investigators, according to Azverde’s affidavit, that The Station had been “previously admonished for having an unlawful door on the exit door located to the right of the stage.”

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

“He stated that this door was a violation of code because it opened inward and was covered with acoustic foam,” Azverde wrote about Murray. “They [the nightclub owners] had been told to remove this door. It was his understanding that this door had been removed. Interviews with patrons and employees along with the physical inspection of the fire scene has conclusively established that this door was in place at the time of the fire, had no door knob, swung inward, was covered with acoustic foam and had to be opened by placing fingers in the small hole where the knob used to be.”

Azverde also noted that the state police sought a search warrant of club owner Michael Derderian’s home shortly after the fire. The document is among thousands of pages related to The Station fire investigation that the state Attorney General’s Office released today.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:47 PM | Comment

Providence bishop hospitalized

NORTH PROVIDENCE -- The Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence, who has been suffering from back pain, was admitted yesterday to Our Lady of Fatima Hospital for evaluation.

Tobin underwent tests, including a magnetic resonance imaging test, to determine a course of treatment, said Michael Guilfoyle, spokesman for Roman Catholic Doicese.

``He is still experiencing back pain and the doctors are continuing to evaluate and treat him,'' said Guilfoyle.

-- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:22 PM | Comment

Fortunato: Rejected ballots may be reviewed

PROVIDENCE -- Over the strong objection of the state Board of Elections, Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. ruled this afternoon that the public may inspect photocopies of ballots rejected by voting machines to see if the votes should count.

The Board of Elections argued in court this afternoon that the voting machines used in recent years are the most fair and objective way to determine a voter's intent.

But Fortunato disagreed. He noted that a machine may reject a ballot in which a voter circled a candidate's name instead of connecting the arrow as instructed. In such a case, the voter's intent is clear and it should be counted, he said.

"We're dealing with a fundamental right," Fortunato said. "Surely we cannot surrender elections to machines."

The ruling gives new hope to candidates involved in very close races -- such as East Providence, Tiverton and East Greenwich -- who hoped that the inclusion of rejected ballots may give them an edge.

It's unclear how and when the Board of Elections will incorporate the rejected ballots in those races. The board argued that the process may be extremely time-consuming.

Today's hearing was the first major challenge to state election policy since electronic voting machines were introduced eight years ago. Read the full story in today's Journal.

Two candidates involved in tight races – Joseph Larisa Jr. of East Providence and Allan W. Fung of Cranston – challenged the Board of Election's policy earlier in the month, asking for permission to manually inspect ballots that cannot be read by the machines.

In addition to the Board of Elections, lawyers for Larisa and his challenger, Isadore Ramos, made arguments at today's hearing, while the Cranston mayoral candidates did not. Fung conceded defeat yesterday and withdrew his court challenge.

Fortunato said he would hold another court hearing tomorrow morning if, upon inspection, the Larisa campaign determines that enough rejected ballots should be counted as to make a difference in the race.

Larisa trails by 16 votes.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:18 PM | Comment

Station evidence: City fire marshal didn't notice foam

The West Warwick fire marshal at the time of The Station fire, Denis Patrick Larocque, told the state police just days after the fire that he was so focused on an exit door that violated state code that he did not notice any foam around the stage area when he inspected the nightclub three months before the fatal fire.

The door, which opened inward, had been corrected by the club at least twice before, Larocque said. After the previous year’s inspection, the club had removed the door to meet state code, the fire marshal said in his witness statement to the state police and the deputy state fire marshal on Feb. 25, 2003.

Club owners Michael and Jeffrey Derderian had installed highly flammable polyurethane foam on the walls of the club as soundproofing after neighbors complained about noise. On the night of the fire, the foam produced deadly fumes and helped the fire spread rapidly through the club, killing 100 people and injured about 200 others.

Larocque’s statement was first made public today, as the state Attorney General’s Office is releasing thousands of pages of documents related to The Station fire investigation.

“I really got upset that someone would reinstall something that we had already cited them for,” Larocque told State Police Det. Sgt. Brian K. Casilli and Deputy State Fire Marshal Robert Mowry. “ … My next stop was right back to the front of, well to the bar to speak with the bartender about who reinstalled the door.”

The last time Larocque said he inspected The Station prior to the fire Feb. 20, 2003, fire was on Nov. 20, 2002, at which point he found nine technical violations, “a lot of the same violations” from the inspection the previous year.

In addition to the inward-opening door, those violations included a broken panic bar on an exit door near the stage, fire extinguishers that weren’t mounted and/or needed service, and an open can of gasoline in the basement.

Larocque said it appeared as if the club owners were trying to limit noise to the neighbors with that second door by the stage, the one that opened inward.

Larocque said he did not know if any permits were ever given to The Station nightclub for pyrotechnics, which sparked the fire. He said he never issued permits for indoor fireworks displays or pyrotechnics and his department didn’t even have a form to issue a permit for such items. To his knowledge, no clubs in the city had ever applied for such permits, he said.

He was asked whether there had been complaints from citizens about overcrowding.

“We haven’t had any complaints that I can recall about any overcrowding or any type of complaints, complaints of that nature,” he said.

Read statements by West Warwick Fire Marshal Denis Larocque on Feb. 25, 2003 and April 7, 2003.In .pdf format. Wait to download.

View records of noise complaints, requests for liquor, victualing and entertainment licenses, and related inspection reports.In .pdf format. Wait to download.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:16 PM | Comment

Coast Guard rescues man with crushed hands

A Coast Guard helicopter hoisted a fisherman from a lobster boat late last night after learning the man had crushed his hands in an apparent work-related accident.

Henry Benitec, 29, was injured while working on the Point Judith-based fishing boat Mister Marco, according to a Coast Guard announcement released today. The exact cause of the accident is under investigation.

At about 10:45 p.m. a Coast Guard helicopter reached the 74-foot lobster boat, which was located about 90 miles south of Point Judith.

Benitec was flown to Stony Brook Trauma Center on Long Island, arrived at 11:07 p.m., and was treated for six broken fingers, according to the Coast Guard.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:07 PM | Comment

Breaking news: AG releases thousands of pages Station fire evidence

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch today began making public thousands of pages of evidence collected as part of the Station nightclub fire investigation.

Today’s release of documents comes in response to a Providence Journal public records request for the material. It also is part of a pledge Lynch made to relatives of the 100 people who died in the 2003 fire that he would let the public see the evidence. Lynch told the relatives he hoped the evidence would help answer lingering questions about the West Warwick nightclub and the fire that destroyed it.

Michael Healey, a spokesman for Lynch, said today that the attorney general regrets not being able to give victims' families advance notice of the release, but that his office was obligated to respond to the media's public records' request.

Healey said the material released today includes more than 3,000 pages of documents from the town of West Warwick and from the home office of Station co-owner Michael A. Derderian. Journal reporters are beginning to review the documents this afternoon.

Three people were charged with involuntary manslaughter for the fire: Derderian, 45, and his brother, Jeffrey A. Derderian, 40, the other owner of the nightclub, and Daniel M. Biechele, 30, the rock band tour manager who triggered fireworks that started the blaze. All three entered pleas to the charges. Biechele and Michael Derderian were sentenced to serve four years in prison. Jeffrey Derderian was ordered to perform 500 hours of community service.

Lynch has said he would release more evidence in the coming weeks, as soon as staff lawyers review it to determine that making it public would not violate the law. He also has petitioned the Superior Court for permission to give out transcripts of secret grand jury testimony that resulted in the charges against Biechele and the Derderians.

Today's release is a small fraction of what will ultimately be released, Healey said.

-- Journal staff writer Paul Edward Parker

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:32 PM | Comment

W. Virginia man sues Hasbro after son's death

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- The father of a 19-month-old boy who apparently suffocated on an oversized plastic nail from a toy that Hasbro Inc. has since recalled is suing the nation's second-largest toy maker.

Zakary Michael Tetlow of Martinsburg died on Jan. 8 after choking on a foreign object, according to Berkeley County Courthouse records.

After learning of Tetlow's death and the suffocation of a 2-year-old Texas boy, Pawtucket-based Hasbro announced a voluntary recall Sept. 22 of about 255,000 Playskool Team Talkin' Tool Bench toys intended for children ages 3 and older. The Texas boy's death prompted a separate civil claim.

In announcing the recall, Hasbro CEO Al Verrecchia noted in a news release that the plastic toy nails, which are more than three inches long and an inch wide, were "far larger" than what is considered a choking hazard under federal safety standards.

Tetlow and his wife, Audrey, also have two daughters and another son, who was born after Zakary's death.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages plus court costs.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:29 PM | Comment

Photo: Last blast for old Jamestown Bridge

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
The last remaining underwater piers of the old Jamestown Bridge are demolished this morning shortly after 9 a.m. The controlled explosion was delayed for about 10 minutes while the blasters waited for a seal to swim away from the area.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:56 AM | Comment

Judge to rule on rejected ballots this morning

PROVIDENCE -- Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. is hearing arguments this afternoon over whether ballots rejected by electronic voting machines should be manually inspected.

The hearing amounts to the first major challenge to state election policy since electronic voting machines were introduced eight years ago will be heard today in Superior Court. Read the full story in today's Journal.

The hearing will run through the usual lunch break.

Two candidates involved in tight races – Joseph Larisa Jr. of East Providence and Allan W. Fung of Cranston – challenged the Board of Election's policy earlier in the month, asking for permission to manually inspect ballots that cannot be read by the machines.

Lawyers for Larisa and his challenger, Isadore Ramos, are attending the hearing, while the Cranston mayoral candidates are not. Fung conceded defeat yesterday and withdrew his court challenge.

Check back with Projo.com for updates from today's hearing.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:52 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

The top stories today are: the Pope's visit to Turkey, another secret memo on Iraq and a controversy about condoms at the ACI.

Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 9:15 AM | Comment

Traffic: Final blast today for old Jamestown Bridge

JAMESTOWN, R.I. -- The final explosive demolition at the old Jamestown Bridge is scheduled for 9 a.m. today, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The controlled explosion will remove two underwater piers on the Jamestown side of the bridge.

Officials are trying to avoid major traffic disruptions at the nearby Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge. Just before the detonations, the state police will clear traffic from the bridge by executing a rolling roadblock.

According to the DOT's Jam Factor, traffic was moving slowly across the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge as of about 8:15 a.m.

The detonation will be similar to the previous 10 blasts that crews have used to destroy underwater piers. Just two piers remain, according to the state. And after today's explosions, there should be none -- if the weather cooperates.

The conclusion of the underwater demolition is among the last elements of the $19.5-million project, according to the state. Crews will be in the area to clear underwater debris through February.

For traffic needs, check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find any traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:01 AM | Comment

R.I., others, arguing global warming case at Supreme Court

WASHINGTON -- Rhode Island and Massachusetts are among among 12 states acting as plaintiffs in a landmark global warming lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency that will be argued this morning before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The plaintiffs, which also include three cities, a U.S. territory and 13 environmental groups, are arguing that the EPA, in neglecting to regulate carbon monoxide emissions from new motor vehicles, ignored the clear language of the Clean Air Act. Under the 1970 law, carbon dioxide is an air pollutant that threatens public health and the EPA must regulate it, they said.

It's the first case about global warming to reach the Supreme Court.

In court papers, the Bush administration argues that the Environmental Protection Agency lacks the power to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. Even if it had such authority, the EPA still would not use it at this point because of uncertainty surrounding the issue of global warming, the administration said.

Global climate change is "a controversial phenomenon that is far from fully understood or defined," trade associations for car and truck makers and automobile dealers said in a court filing signed by former Solicitors General Theodore Olson and Kenneth Starr that backs the administration position.

Carbon dioxide is produced when fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas are burned. It is the principal "greenhouse" gas that many scientists believe is flowing into the atmosphere at an unprecedented rate, leading to a warming of the Earth and widespread ecological changes. One way to reduce those emissions is to have cleaner-burning cars.

Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch said in a statement, "Because the Supreme Court's decision will determine whether the language of the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide as an air pollutant, this lawsuit has assumed great national and international significance."

He said "solid scientific evidence" points to "carbon dioxide emissions as the biggest contributor to global warming."

A federal appeals court in Washington, in a fractured decision in 2005, upheld the Bush administration's position. The Supreme Court decided to take the case in June and is expected to rule before July 2007.

The court's decision could have far-reaching effects. A separate case involving the EPA's claim that the Clean Air Act similarly does not give it authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants also is making its way through the federal courts.

Together, U.S. power plants and vehicles account for 15 percent of the world output of greenhouse gases, said David Doniger, counsel for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group involved in the Supreme Court case.

An association of electric utilities, the Utility Air Regulatory Group, opposes greenhouse gas regulation. But two individual power companies, Calpine Corp. and Entergy Corp., are on the other side.

"This case makes for strange bedfellows," Entergy said in its brief. The company said it has to be able to make plans 25 years in advance and that the EPA's current rules will not "stand the test of time."

Michigan, home of the U.S. auto industry, and eight other states are backing the EPA.

The case is Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency, 05-1120.

-- The Associated Press and projo.com staff reports.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:57 AM | Comment

Truck crash cuts power in Hope Valley, driver arrested

A Hopkinton man was arraigned early this morning on a drunken driving charge after crashing his Dodge pickup truck into a utility pole on Route 138 westbound in Hope Valley last night, the state police said.

No one was injured, but the crash near the intersection of Bank Street cut power to area residents and the state police department’s Hope Valley barracks, according to Lt. David Neill.

At the police station, a generator kicked in almost instantaneously. Residents’ power was restored in about a half hour, Neill said.

Paul E. Chapman, 40, of 220 Skunk Hill Rd. in Hopkinton, is charged with one count of driving under the influence. When he took a breath test, his blood-alcohol level was .266, Neill said. The legal limit is .08.

He is due back in court for a full arraignment in Washington County District Court on Dec. 6.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:42 AM | Comment

Mostly cloudy with a high near 53

PROVIDENCE – This morning’s fog and drizzle should turn to a mostly cloudy day after 9 a.m.

Expect a high near 53, with a calm wind between 4 and 7 miles per hour.

But look out for a low-pressure storm system that’s expected to move over the southern plains and northeast over the next 48 hours.

Expected to move into northern New England Friday afternoon and night, the storm will push a strong cold front through the region. Very strong winds from the west and southwest will develop immediately behind the front, with gusts that may rise in excess of 50 knots across the water.

The National Weather Service warns mariners planning to travel on Friday to monitor the potentially dangerous storm before heading out on the water.

The rest of this week, expect temps in the mid-60s tomorrow and down into the 40s this weekend.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:09 AM | Comment

November 28, 2006

2nd suspect admits to role in revenge killing

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- A local man admitted to killing a Providence woman to avenge her boyfriend’s death and then dumping her body off a Connecticut bridge with two accomplices.

Shea Cook, 22, of 364 Curtis Corner Rd., pleaded guilty in Washington County Superior Court to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in a plea agreement reached with the Attorney General’s Office.

Cook looked on impassively as he admitted to his role in the revenge killing of Stacy Ann Brissett, a former stripper who was shot three times on Narragansett Indian land in Charlestown and then strangled before her body was dropped into the Yantic River July 26, 2005.

Wearing a gray sweatshirt with a tuft of a beard on his chin, Cook simply said ``Yes, your honor’’ in admitting his part in the crime before Judge Stephen P. Nugent.

Cook faces a sentence of up to 50 years, with a maximum of 40 to serve, for the murder count. He would serve up to 10 years concurrently for the conspiracy charge.

As a condition of the agreement reached by Cook’s lawyer, Kathleen M. Hagerty, and Assistant Atty. Gen. Craig V. Montecalvo, Cook signed a stipulation that the state of Rhode Island had jurisdiction in the case, despite its occurrence on Indian land. Cook is a Pequot.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

A second person charged in the case, Tawanna N. Sampson, rejected a plea deal earlier this month, and now faces trial in January.

Sampson’s sister, Shonda M. Northup, 26, of Ledyard, Conn., reached a plea deal in May under which she agreed to testify against Sampson and Cook. She is serving a 60-year sentence and will be eligible for parole in 45 years.

The police said they believe the three plotted to kill Brissett to avenge the murder of Dwayne Sampson, who was gunned down outside the couple’s home in Providence’s North End. The police allege the three blamed Brissett for playing a role in Sampson’s killing.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:33 PM | Comment

Update: Fung concedes defeat in Cranston mayor's race / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Allan Fung announces he won't pursue a court review of ballots not counted by machine in the Cranston mayoral race, thanked his family and supporters and said, "I'll be back."

Republican Allan W. Fung ended his fight for the Cranston mayor's office today, conceding defeat in an afternoon press conference three weeks after Election Day.

“It's been an honor and a privilege to meet so many people in the City of Cranston, but like any good book, this chapter in my life is coming to a close,” Fung said in the City Hall lobby, with tears in his eyes. Fung's mother and two sisters joined the crowd of media in attendance.

The race was among the closest in city history.

A state Board of Elections recount conducted yesterday showed Fung trailing his Democratic opponent Michael T. Napolitano by 79 votes. More than 32,000 ballots were cast in the election.

Fung said he will drop legal action aimed at forcing the release of photocopies of ballots rejected by voting machines. He said he realized that the number of ballots in question weren't enough to make a difference.

"I don’t want to hurt the residents of the City of Cranston," he said. "I realized it's time to move on.”

East Providence City Council candidate Mayor Joseph Larisa Jr., who trails by 16 votes in his race and was a co-plaintiff in Fung's lawsuit, is expected to take over the suit.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples, with reports from Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Fung called Napolitano to concede at about 2:15 this afternoon, according to Michael DiChiro Jr., a lawyer for Napolitano.

"Mike is very relieved," DiChiro said of Napolitano. "He commends Allan on his decision to put the people first."

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples, with reports from Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:23 PM | Comment

Forum on human trafficking on tap tonight in Providence

PROVIDENCE -- State officials will join academics this evening at a forum on human trafficking and forced prostitution around the world and in Rhode Island.

According to the Polaris Project, an international organization dedicated to combating the problem, human trafficking is the third-largest criminal industry in the world and the fastest growing.

The presenters include Rhode Island's U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente and Rhode Island State Police Maj. Stephen Campbell, Sister Helene Hayes, an authority on human trafficking, and Donna Hughes, a University of Rhode Island woman studies professor who focuses on the trafficking of women and children.

Mayor David N. Cicilline's office is sponsoring the event along with the National Council of Jewish Women's Rhode Island chapter.

The forum, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Providence Marriot, One Orms St., is free and open to the public.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:15 PM | Comment

Update: E. Providence mayor still trails challenger / Photo

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Former Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd, left, acts as an election recount observer for his father-in-law, Isadore Ramos, candidate for East Providence's council-at-large seat. Stephanie Brelsford, a Board of Elections worker, feeds ballots from the Rumford Towers precinct into the voting machine.

PROVIDENCE — Mayor Joseph Larisa Jr. gained a handful of votes, but the incumbent still trails former Assistant Supt. Isadore Ramos after today’s recount at the state Board of Elections headquarters.

While Larisa gained six votes after more than 16,000 ballots were hand fed through voting machinesy, he was still 16 votes behind his opponent.

Still, lingering issues for the state Board of Elections as well as a lawsuit filed by Larisa and Cranston mayoral candidate Allan Fung may change the outcome.

Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. will decide tomorrow whether candidates have access to ballots that were rejected by the voting machines. The state Supreme Court ruled last week that such ballots must be photocopied and set aside for public viewing.

There are more than 96 such ballots in the East Providence race.

Larisa has also asked Fortunato and the Board of Elections to reconsider including 31 provisional ballots – which he describes as ballots made by voters not at their designated polling places – to the tally.

As it stands with those ballots, only the voters’ choice for federal races was counted and their pick for local races was not.

Fortunato will hear arguments tomorrow morning. The state Board of Elections also plans to meet at 4 p.m. tomorrow.

The local Board of Canvassers will meet after that meeting to certify the election. A swearing-in ceremony has already been planned for Friday.

-- Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:23 PM | Comment

R.I. fisherman dies after falling from boat in Fall River

FALL RIVER — The police today would not release the name of a fisherman who died last night when he fell from a fishing boat into the waters around the State Pier.

The police said they couldn't release the 50-year-old Rhode Island man's name because they had yet to notify family members of his death.

Last night shortly after 11 p.m., officer Frederick Mello responded to the State Pier, under the Braga Bridge, after the police were alerted that a man had fallen into the Taunton River. Security officers at the pier told Mello that they had seen on a surveillance system a man fall from a fishing boat and that they had been unable to find him in the darkness.

When Mello conducted his own search, he found the man, and his body was pulled from the water by a rescue crew. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives are conducting a follow-up investigation. The police said the man worked on the fishing boat. The cause of his death is unclear.

-- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:04 PM | Comment

'Celebrity terrier' helps raise money for displaced animals

A pretty popular pooch is in town today showing off a new venture between her New York City company and a Rhode Island nonprofit that provides comprehensive programs and services for the visually impaired.

Schmitty, whose owners call her a “celebrity terrier,” has appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show and ACCESS Hollywood and even on a Japanese morning show with 20 million viewers.

Through the Dogs Who Care foundation created by her owners, the Yorkshire terrier is helping to raise money for displaced and homeless animals at a growing network of no-kill animal shelters across the country. And now, as the Schmitty product line expands, people in Rhode Island who are visually impaired are learning new skills as they package and ship out the orders for Schmitty calendars, collars and leashes.

The dog’s owner, Elly McGuire, has returned to her Rhode Island roots to partner with In-Sight, formerly the Rhode Island Association for the Blind. McGuire, who went to Pilgrim High School in Warwick and Rhode Island College and now lives in New York City, says her mom, Eileen McLellan, inspired her.

McLellan lost her sight later in life and came to In-Sight’s Warwick program, where the organization helps people who are visually impaired develop the daily skills they need to be as independent as possible, In-Sight Executive Director Christopher Butler said today.

“She inspired me,” McGuire said of her mother.

Now, all of the proceeds from the Dogs Who Care collars the foundation is selling go to animal shelters throughout the country.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:37 PM | Comment

Police arrest 2nd suspect in PlayStation shooting

PUTNAM, Conn. -- State police arrested two suspects today in the shooting of a Massachusetts man during an attempted robbery of a group of people waiting to buy new PlayStation 3 videogame consoles in Putnam earlier this month.

William J. Robertson, 20, of Woodstock, and Andrew Patnaude, 17, of Putnam were charged with attempted murder, robbery, assault and other crimes after a judge signed off on arrest warrants Monday.

Robertson and Patnaude were being held on $1 million bonds. Robertson was to be arraigned today in Danielson Superior Court, while Patnaude was to appear in the same court tomorrow. Robertson was arrested at about 3:45 a.m. and Patnaude at about 10:30 a.m.

Michael Penkala, 21, of Webster, Mass., was shot outside the Putnam Wal-Mart shortly after 3 a.m. on Nov. 17 after he confronted two gunmen who were robbing a group of 15 to 20 people waiting to buy PlayStation 3 consoles on the first day they went on sale, state police said. The incident was one of several violent acts reported across the country related to sales of the videogame systems.

-- The Associated Press

Penkala said he dialed 911 on his cell phone when he saw two men wearing bandanas over their faces and carrying guns. The thieves ordered everyone in line to throw possessions and cash on the ground or put them into two bags the gunmen held.

Penkala held onto a wallet in his pocket that held more than $2,500 in cash. He refused to give up his money and was shot.

Penkala is still recovering from his injuries.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:30 PM | Comment

Poll: Bush's approval ratings improving in R.I.

After many months as the state most critical of President Bush’s job performance, Rhode Island no longer leads the nation in disapproval of the president, according to a SurveyUSA poll.

New Yorkers now give the president the lowest approval rating in the country, with 24 percent of voters in the Empire State rating the president favorably.

Rhode Island is tied with Massachusetts at 49th for presidential approval, with 26 percent of voters in each state approving the way the president handles his job. Last month 23 percent of Rhode Island voters approved the president's job performance, according to a SurveyUSA poll.

The polls have an error margin of about 4 percent.

The average approval rating for the president was 36 percent nationwide. The president was above 50 percent in two states, Idaho and Utah, and below 30 percent in seven states: R.I.; Mass.; N.Y.; Cal.; Conn.; Del.; and Vt.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:33 PM | Comment

Ethics commission to investigate Montalbano complaints

PROVIDENCE -- The state Ethics Commission has decided to investigate ethics complaints against state Senate President Joseph Montalbano.

The commission met inexecutive session to debate whether to investigate the complaints against Montalbano, whom Senate Democrats last week unanimously endorsed for re-election as Senate president.

In June, the citizens group Operation Clean Government filed a complaint with the commission about Montalbano’s failure to mention on his annual financial disclosure statement the income his law firm had been getting since at least 2003 from the Town of West Warwick. Last month, the commission itself lodged a complaint against Montalbano for failing to disclose additional income derived in 2002.

Both stemmed from the disclosure by The Providence Journal – on the day the Senate was poised to vote on placing the doomed West Warwick casino proposal on the ballot – that Montalbano’s North Providence law firm had been paid $86,329, including expenses by the town since 2003 for legal work that included clearing the titles on two parcels of land near the proposed Harrah’s-Narragansett Indian casino.

By late last month, the FBI was involved.

Montalbano said he welcomed the investigation because he had nothing to hide and had been assured he was “not a target.”

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:53 AM | Comment

Japanese star will pitch for Sox, Lucchino says

The Red Sox have made an offer to pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka that Boston president Larry Lucchino describes as ''fair'' and ''comprehensive.''

Lucchino, in Tokyo today after meeting with representatives of Matsuzaka’s Seibu Lions, said the Red Sox have taken the next step toward signing the Japanese star.

''We have sent a formal offer to Matsuzaka and his agent, Scott Boras,'' Lucchino said. ''I believe it is fair and comprehensive, and offers a great deal of security and a substantial level of compensation.''

Boston bid $51.1 million for the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka, who was the MVP of last spring’s World Baseball Classic. The team has until the end of Dec. 14 to sign him.

Lucchino sounded confident that a deal will be reached.

''We know it’s been his dream to play in the major leagues and we are proud that he will live out his dream in Boston with the Boston Red Sox,'' Lucchino said.

-- Associated Press

In his meetings with Seibu officials, Lucchino said he discussed the possibility of the Red Sox and the Lions forming a long-term ''working relationship.''

Such a relationship could help facilitate a deal if contract talks stall. Media reports have said the sides are far apart in early negotiations.

If the Red Sox don’t sign Matsuzaka, he returns to the Lions and could become a free agent following the 2007 season. To avoid that, the Lions could reduce the bid to help the sides reach a deal.

Lucchino brushed aside suggestions that the bid was made just to block the New York Yankees from signing Matsuzaka.

''I assure you that the notion that this is a primarily defensive maneuver is preposterous,'' Lucchino said, adding that $51.1 million is ''obviously a historical number but we are talking about a national living treasure and an exceptional baseball player.''

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:04 AM | Comment

Biden, considering presidential bid, visits Providence

Potential 2008 presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Joe Biden is expected in Providence tonight for a $500-a-head fundraiser.

Tonight’s 6 p.m. reception is at the law offices of St. Peter & Kasle, 4 Richmond Square. It’s hosted by attorney Gary St. Peter and Frank McMahon of Advocacy Solutions, a public-relations and State House lobbying firm.

Biden, D-Delaware, is the fifth recent potential presidential candidate to visit Rhode Island.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:53 AM | Comment

Traffic: DOT's Jam Factor detects congestion on 195

Traffic on Route 195 West has been a bit congested this morning, but it appears to have just turned the corner and started getting better, according to the Department of Transportation’s Jam Factor.

That’s an overall measure of traffic conditions that uses real-time speed and travel time measurements to calculate how well traffic is moving.

An early-morning accident near the Washington Bridge contributed to the congestion.

Check out the Jam Factors on other local roads here.

For other traffic needs, check the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find any traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:29 AM | Comment

A chance of rain today

PROVIDENCE – You might want to pack an umbrella today and for the rest of the week.

There’s a chance of drizzling rain today after 9 a.m. and tomorrow morning before 9 a.m. Then, there’s rain or drizzle expected through the week, until we get a partly cloudy Saturday.

We should see a high of 48 today, and it should be warmer for most of the rest of the week – with a high around 62 on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Boaters, beware of the small craft advisory for the region, in effect from 7 a.m. today through this evening. Northwest winds of 5 to 10 knots should increase to 15 to 20 knots, with gusts up to 25 knots. Seas should be 2 to 4 feet.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:03 AM | Comment

November 27, 2006

Old Jamestown bridge blasts to wrap up Wednesday

The bridge blasts are nearly finished.

The state Department of Transportation today said that the final underwater explosion on the old Jamestown bridge is planned for Wednesday morning.

The detonation will be similar to the previous 10 blasts that crews have used to destroy underwater piers. Just two piers remain, according to the state. And after Wednesday's explosions, there should be none -- if the weather cooperates.

The detonations are planned for 9 a.m. There are no major traffic delays expected.

The conclusion of the underwater demolition is among the last elements of the $19.5-million project, according to the state. Crews will be in the area to clear underwater debris through February.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:53 PM | Comment

Lawsuit over emissions testing contract delayed again

Once again, the trial of a contractor’s lawsuit over the state’s decision to switch companies that run the state's auto emissions testing program was postponed – in part because the Thanksgiving holiday delayed an exchange of information.

Judge Michael A. Silverstein today set a week-long schedule for both sides to complete discovery and exchange legal briefs. He then directed them to return to his courtroom next Monday for oral arguments on various legal motions.

Applus, which has run the emissions program for the last seven years, argues that a state review team gave its bid the high score, so it should have been awarded the contract.

The state, in a countersuit, argues that SysTech’s bid was lower, allowing the state to reduce the overall fee it charges for each inspection from $47 to $39. Governor Carcieri announced in a news conference that the overall savings to Rhode Islanders would total $15 million.

Silverstein has offered a speedy trial so the dispute could be settled before Applus’ contract expires at the end of next month.

-- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:48 PM | Comment

Mobster and son going to prison after plea deal

PROVIDENCE -- Mobster Joseph F. Achille and his son are on their way to prison.

The Achilles, after months of plea negotiations, appeared in Superior Court today and pleaded no contest to a variety of felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from the breakup of a gambling ring in Johnston two years ago.

The most significant charge, conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon, resulted in Achille, 70, and his son, David Achille, 39, being sentenced to seven years in the ACI, with one year to serve. The remaining six years of the sentence was suspended. They were both ordered to surrender to the court on Jan. 2 to begin serving the sentence in the prison’s work-release program.

The conspiracy charge dates to Jan. 28, 2005, when David Achille had an argument with two members of the Laborers’ International Union of North America at the Interstate 195 job site at India Point Park in Providence.

To settle the score, the police said, Joseph Achille gave his son a handgun and instructed him to shoot the two laborers — Bobby Allen and David DiSpirito — in the kneecaps. The state police, who were monitoring phone conversations through court-ordered wiretaps, arrested the younger Achille as he drove to the job site with a loaded .22-caliber handgun in his car.

The authorities say that the elder Achille, of 75 Windmill St., Providence, is a capo regime in the Patriarca crime family.

-- Journal staff writer W. Zachary Malinowski

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:34 PM | Comment

Update: Napolitano officially Cranston mayor-elect / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Michael Napolitano reacts after it was announced today that he led the recount vote for the Cranston mayoral race.

PROVIDENCE -- A recount of more than 32,000 ballots has determined that Democratic candidate Michael T. Napolitano defeated his Republican challenger Allan W. Fung in Cranston's mayoral race by 79 votes.

Before the ballots were hand fed through voting machines for much of today, Napolitano's lead was 71 votes.

Shortly after, the Cranston Board of Canvassers voted to certify the election results. "I just signed the papers," said board chairman Joseph A. Delorenzo Jr. "He's now the mayor-elect."

Even before the results were certified, Napolitano had declared victory.

"My father would have been proud. Words can’t describe my joy," he said with tears in his eyes in the basement of the Board of Elections this afternoon after the recount figures were announced. "This is over, enough is enough.”

Today's recount -- held nearly three weeks after Election Day -- determined that Napolitano won 16,116 votes to 16,037. It's unclear how many ballots couldn't be read by the machines and were excluded from the final talley. The state Supreme Court ruled last week that such ballots must be photocopied and set aside for potential public viewing.

But before Fung concedes, it looks like the courts will weigh in on the issue once again.

Fung’s lawyer said this afternoon that Fung would continue his lawsuit asking for access to photocopies. A court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:09 PM | Comment

ACLU countersues on behalf of S. Kingstown activist

The Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a counterclaim on behalf of a South Kingstown political activist who was sued for defamation by failed Republican Town Council candidate Andrew Bilodeau.

Bilodeau’s lawsuit, filed in Washington County Superior Court the day before the Nov. 7 election, accuses Jonathan Daly-LaBelle of circulating false information in pamphlets handed out in Wakefield the weekend before the election.

The ACLU is asking that that lawsuit be dismissed under the state’s SLAPP suit statute, arguing that it was “brought with an intent to harass Daly-LaBelle and otherwise inhibit his exercise” of First Amendment rights. SLAPP is an acronym for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. The counterclaim was filed today in Washington County Superior Court.

“Mr. Bilodeau’s lawsuit was a clear effort to deter Mr. Daly-LaBelle from engaging in constitutionally protected political speech in a hotly contested election,” ACLU volunteer attorney Karen Davidson said in a statement issued today. “The SLAPP suit statute was enacted to prohibit precisely this type of litigation, and we are hopeful for a quick dismissal of the suit.”

Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:00 PM | Comment

Bomb scare evacuates Fall River Government Center

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- A black plastic container resembling a briefcase forced the evacuation of about 100 city employees from the building that houses the mayor’s office this afternoon.

A state police bomb squad later opened the case and determined it was not suspicious.

Shortly after 1 p.m., Jim Smith, the city director of municipal services, noticed the case on the steps of the Government Center, outside the building entrance across from the post office, he said. No one claimed ownership, and Smith informed a police officer stationed at the center, who alerted Fall River police. The police called in a bomb squad.

Smith said city employees evacuated from an exit on the opposite side of where the bag had been found. The area was cordoned off, and employees gathered in a bank parking lot at the corner of Third Street and Sullivan Drive, roughly 100 feet from the Government Center.

The building remained empty for about one hour and 20 minutes, Smith said, noting that police have not determined who owns the case.

Smith said he believed investigators found video camera equipment inside the case.

“It looked more like a case that would hold a drill or tools rather than paper and stuff,” Smith said.

-- Journal staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:21 PM | Comment

Providence kitchen fire under control

PROVIDENCE – Firefighters have a kitchen fire under control at 72-74 Burnside St.

Called to the 2 ½ -story woodframe building at 1:42 p.m. for a fire on the first floor, crews had the blaze under control by 1:56 p.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

No one has been injured, Taylor said. Firefighters remain at the scene.

The electric company, National Grid, has been called to shut off service to the building, Taylor said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:30 PM | Comment

Patriots place Seau on injured reserve

As reported just a while ago, the Patriots have placed Junior Seau on injured reserve with what is believed to be a broken right arm, ending his season.

Seau was hurt in the second quarter of yesterday's game with the Bears, making his first tackle of the night, dropping Chicago running back Cedric Benson for no gain on second down.

Bill Belichick obviously isn't glad to see any of his players get hurt, but since bringing Seau to New England just days after the veteran linebacker announced his "graduation", the coach has made no secret of his feelings for the potential Hall of Fame linebacker.

"Junior was real good," Belichick said when asked about Seau's performance this season. "Ironically, he gave an emotional speech before the game. He was always here early, stayed late, wanted to be in for every play. I really enjoyed coaching him; he's fun to coach, loves football. Unfortunately his season ended last night."

It is not known whether the injury will force the 37-year old Seau into retirement. He recorded 70 tackles through 10-plus games this year.

-- Shalise Manza Young

Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 12:55 PM | Comment

R.I. gas prices continue upward climb

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island gas prices increased another two cents last week, the third straight week of increases, according to AAA Southern New England.

The average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $2.26 per gallon at the self-service pump, according to AAA's weekly survey.

That's 21 cents more than Rhode Island drivers were paying at this time last year.

The survey found a low of $2.16 per gallon and a high of $2.36.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:09 AM | Comment

Supreme Court won't review Narragansett smoke-shop ruling

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court today declined to review whether Rhode Island authorities can enforce state law on the Narragansett Indian tribal lands, a dispute triggered by a state police raid on the tribe's smoke shop.

Cigarettes sold for less at the shop because the tribe didn't pay for state-mandated tax stamps and it didn't collect a sales tax from customers who purchased cigarettes.

The tribe argued that it is immune from state authority because it is recognized by the federal government. State police, however, obtained a search warrant from a Rhode Island court and raided the store in July 2003, leading to a violent clash with tribal leaders.

The Supreme Court today included the Rhode Island decision among a list of more than 200 that it refused to act on.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled that Rhode Island authorities can enforce state law on the Narragansett land, which is in the town of Charlestown.

The case is Narragansett Indian Tribe v. Rhode Island, et al, 06-414.

-- Associated Press

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 10:42 AM | Comment

Mass. to sue Big Dig companies, alleging negligence in death

BOSTON -- The state attorney general will file a multimillion dollar lawsuit against the companies that worked on the Big Dig, alleging their negligence led to a tunnel ceiling collapse that killed a woman, according to a spokesman for Attorney General Tom Reilly.

Reilly is seeking unspecified damages for repairs, loss of tunnel use and toll revenue and other economic factors, spokesman David Guarino said today. The lawsuit will be filed either today or tomorrow, he said.

"This lawsuit is more than just about money, although we will be seeking monetary damages," Reilly told WBZ-AM today. "What this case is has always been about is the tragic death of Milena Del Valle. That could have been any one of us."

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:04 AM | Comment

Commission considers combining school functions

A commission that meets today for the first time will examine the potential impact of combining certain functions of the Newport, Portsmouth and Middletown school districts.

The nine-member commission meets at 7 p.m. at the Newport Colony House.

The commission consists of legislators and leaders of statewide organizations that represent teachers, school committees and cities and towns. It was created by a House resolution introduced by state Rep. Amy G. Rice, D-Portsmouth, Middletown and Newport.

The commission will consider the impact of combining district functions such as administration, transportation, purchasing and insurance, as well as dental and medical coverage.

In other local school news, the Middletown School District today launches its efforts to develop a master plan for the town’s public schools.

A core committee of about 40 volunteers meets at 4:30 p.m. at the Middletown Public Schools Administration Building, 26 Oliphant Lane. They’ll work with a consultant hired to help the district determine its vision for the future.

Then, the public is invited to learn more about the district’s initiative at a 6:30 p.m. meeting, also in the administration building.

Both meetings are open to the public, Supt. Rosemarie K. Kraeger said this morning.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:48 AM | Comment

Could you be a PowerBall winner?

Haven’t checked your PowerBall tickets from this weekend yet to see if you’ve won?

Well, pull them out and doublecheck the numbers. Someone bought a $10,000 winning ticket at a Stop & Shop in North Providence. The ticket purchased at the supermarket at 1128 Mineral Spring Ave. was for Saturday night’s $64.4 million PowerBall drawing.

The prize money has yet to be claimed, according to the Rhode Island Lottery.

The winning ticket matched four numbers and the PowerBall number.

The winning numbers on Saturday night, according to the lottery’s Web site, were: 5, 18, 28, 49 and 55, with a PowerBall number of 38 and a PowerPlay number of 5.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:17 AM | Comment

Cyber shoppers hit the computers today

It's back to work -- and back to Christmas shopping today for many Americans.

After retailers reported long lines and brisk sales on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the season at brick-and-mortar stores, online retailers anticipate big sales today, as the online shopping season kicks into high gear on so-called Cyber Monday.

Online retailers can expect $599 million in sales today, a 24-percent increase over the $484 million spent on Cyber Monday last year, according to comScore Networks, a company that tracks online spending.

Online spending is already 23 percent ahead of the last holiday shopping season. During the first 19 days of November, online retail spending reached $6.35 billion. Last year, consumers spent $5.18 billion during the same period, according to comScore.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:21 AM | Comment

Traffic: Accident slows traffic on 95N in Providence

An accident earlier this morning on Route 95 North has slowed traffic slightly in the area of exit 22.

Other than that “little bottleneck,” though, traffic is pretty stable this morning – normal for a Monday morning, according to Robert Miller, a Transportation Management Center operator for the state Department of Transportation.

For other traffic needs, check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find any traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:27 AM | Comment

Warming up to 61 today

PROVIDENCE – You might want to wait a few minutes to warm up your car and let the dew on your windshield melt before venturing out today.

And you might even want to put the heater on in your car, but dress in layers because it’s going to warm up today. We should see a high of 61 degrees today. It will be partly cloudy.

Tonight, we’ll have a low around 42. There’s a slight chance of showers after 3 a.m.

The rest of this week, a slight chance of rain tomorrow and Wednesday turns to a 60 percent chance of rain by Friday. Thursday should be foggy.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment

November 24, 2006

Update: Police ID man found dead in Warwick motel

WARWICK -- The Warwick police have released the name of a man found dead yesterday in a motel room.

His name is Frank Decorpo, 28, of 597 Union Ave., Providence, Warwick Police Detective Lt. Michael Higgins said this morning.

The man’s girlfriend, who was staying with him at Motel 6, 20 Jefferson Blvd., called the police around 4 p.m. yesterday, according to Capt. Matthew Costello.

Decorpo's death doesn't appear criminal in nature, according to Higgins, but the police are continuing their investigation while they await an autopsy report from the state Medical Examiner's Office.

-- projo.com staff writer Jack Perry and Journal staff writer Talia Buford

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:35 PM | Comment

Coats donated, given away today at State House

PROVIDENCE -- Across from Providence Place Mall on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, a group is purposely avoiding stores and giving away winter coats for those in need.

The annual Buy Nothing Day is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. today on the State House lawn. Coats are collected and given away at the event and also distributed to other organizations around the state.

The event was already in full swing early this morning with about 100 people gathered on the lawn.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:57 AM | Comment

Early birds get to shop

Sisters Ann Boxler, 37, and Beth McDermott, 35, sat drinking coffee at 8:30 this morning with their mom and Ann's 8 year-old daughter, Catie.

With full shopping bags at their feet, they were taking a break after a shopping spree that began when they left home in Westport, Mass., at 5 a.m.

At Providence Place Mall by 6 a.m., they said just a few shops were open when they arrived -- Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, Sharper Image and the Ipod Store.

The rest of the stores opened soon after, except Nordstrom's, which opened at 8 a.m. and beckoned to the family to keep shopping.

They had come here for clothes and, although they bought some gifts, they were really shopping for themselves, the sisters said.

At the stores this morning, the salespeople were great, said McDermott, who is in Westport for Thanksgiving from her home in Arlington, Va.

"They were incredibly chipper, happy, not exhausted," McDermott said.

Catie was sleepy at the table as her family drank coffee. She even fell asleep on the dressing room floor, but just for a minute, her aunt said.

The mall, fully decorated, certainly looks a lot like Christmas on what's considered one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Many of the stores are advertising sales. Santa Claus sits in the middle of the mall, on the first floor.

"It hasn't been as busy today as I thought it would be," he said, noting that the early crowd consisted primarily of adults, who apparently left the children at home to sleep in.

Still, Santa, who's been at the mall since Nov. 13, is popular with more than just kids. A couple celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary had their photos taken with him, and so did a 4-day-old baby.

Santa's sources tell him electronic games are popular this year.

The mall is slated to stay open until 10 p.m. and open again at 6 tomorrow morning. Sunday shoppers have to wait until 9 a.m.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:32 AM | Comment

Traffic: It's smooth sailing to the stores

Whether you’re unlucky and heading to work this morning or lucky and heading out shopping, it’s smooth sailing on Rhode Island’s roads.

Route 195 is moving along nicely, and Route 95 appears clear in both directions, according to a Transportation Management Center operator with the state Department of Transportation.

For other traffic needs throughout the day, check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find any traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:38 AM | Comment

Free holiday parking starts in Providence

PROVIDENCE -- It's that time of year again.

Mayor Cicilline announced the return of the relaxed parking program.

Starting today, you won't have to pay for parking at metered spaces, or move your car at timed spaces in downtown Providence, Wayland Square and on Thayer Street.

The relaxed parking is also in effect on South Main Street from Wickenden to Packet Street and on North Main Street from Thomas Street to Park Row.

The program ends January 1.

Police will still give out tickets for cars parked in crosswalks, tow zones and other illegal spots.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:36 AM | Comment

Minor flooding in Warwick, Cranston

PROVIDENCE – By 4 a.m. today, the Pawtuxet River in Cranston had risen above flood stage, to 9.6 feet. Minor flooding has occurred in low-lying areas of Warwick and Cranston, according to the National Weather Service.

The Pawtuxet River is expected to fall below flood stage, which is 9 feet, by this afternoon.

The National Weather Service reports that 3.31 inches of rain fell yesterday in Providence, which is just short of the record of 3.38 inches for the day set in 1953.

The storm also brought a gust of 53 mph.

By 5:30 this morning, rain had ended across Rhode Island, as the Thanksgiving coastal storm moved out to sea. It could rain again this morning, probably before 9 a.m. if it does.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:20 AM | Comment

Thanksgiving storm out to sea

PROVIDENCE -- By 5:30 this morning, rain had ended across Rhode Island, as the Thanksgiving coastal storm moved out to sea. It could rain again this morning, probably before 9 a.m. if it does.

Today should be partly cloudy with a high near 57. Tonight will be clear with a low around 32.

The weekend looks sunny and nice, with temps ranging from low- to high-50s.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:15 AM | Comment

November 22, 2006

Update: Heavy rains, winds to usher in Thanksgiving

PROVIDENCE -- Cancel your post-turkey stroll around the block. Tomorrow's going to be nasty.

The National Weather Service is calling for a powerful storm to arrive in Rhode Island some time after midnight. The most severe weather is scheduled for Turkey Day.

The weather service says there will be northeast winds of 20 to 30 mph tomorrow with gusts up to 45 mph. As much as two inches of rain will fall. Minor coastal flooding is possible.

And it's going to be cold. Temperatures tonight are expected to be around 40. Tomorrow's high could reach 48.

Already, three of the traditional holiday high school football games have been rescheduled: Woonsocket, Cumberland; Toll Gate, Bishop Hendricken; and Warwick's Pilgrim and Warwick Veterans Memorial.

"It is recommended all travel be completed this evening if possible," reads a weather service advisory.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts here, and keep up tomorrow with high school football reports here.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:45 PM | Comment

Photo: Waiting to trade their wheels for wings

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
Valerie Keffer, of Mattapoisett, Mass., waits today with her daughters, Alexandra, 7 months, and Caitlin, 2 1/2, for her husband, Reilly, to park their car before the family flies out of T.F. Green Airport in Warwick to spend their Thanksgiving holiday with Reilly's brother in Moyock, N.C. Most flights out of Green were marked as on time as of 6:10 p.m., according to the airport's Web site. But some from cities west of here, such as Newark, N.J., and Philadelphia, were showing as delayed. Check the latest on arrivals and departures here.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:10 PM | Comment

Cases of staph infection at ACI intake center

CRANSTON -- One correctional officer and around 20 inmates have contracted an infectious bacteria known as MRSA inside the Adult Correctional Institutions intake center.

"We have what I would consider an outbreak of MRSA," said Richard Ferruccio, the head of the correctional officers union, who also works as an officer at the intake center. "When you're talking about an infectious disease, this is something we can take home to our families or loved ones. This is scary."

Ferruccio said a female correctional officer contracted the infection through a cut on her mouth last week. She was hospitalized Friday and released three days later.

The state Health Department today confirmed the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at the ACI, but said the situation was not out of control.

"At this point there’s no outbreak," Health Department spokeswoman Maria Wah-Fitta said. "We are aware of the situation. They do have some cases."

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

MRSA is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Staph infections like MRSA occur most frequently in institutional settings such as hospitals or prisons and among people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of the infection usually include skin rashes such as pimples or boils, according to the CDC.

Wah-Fitta said today that despite the infection, there is no public health threat.

"The state epidemiologist has been in touch with the medical director there," she said. "We are working with them on their infection control practices. They're keeping us informed."

A spokeswoman for the ACI did not return calls for comment.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:00 PM | Comment

Murder victim was facing sex assault charges

EAST PROVIDENCE -- The 26-year-old man stabbed to death in his apartment Saturday was scheduled to stand trial for one count of third-degree sexual assault next week, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office confirmed this afternoon.

Michael R. McKenna Jr., of 280 Roger Williams Ave., lived alone in the Rumford section of East Providence. The police have released very few details about the crime, the subsequent investigation, or McKenna's criminal history.

At this time last year, McKenna was charged with one count of third-degree sexual assault, which is defined as an adult having sexual intercourse with another person over the age of 14 but under the age of 16.

McKenna had pleaded not guilty to the charge. His trial was scheduled to begin Monday, according to Beryl Kenyon, the attorney general's spokeswoman.

"Yes, the victim of the East Providence murder was facing trial on one count of third-degree sexual assault," she said.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:09 PM | Comment

Update: ACI escapee to face disciplinary board

CRANSTON – A man who escaped from a state prison work program is back at the Adult Correctional Institutions today.

Ralph Jennings, 42, had been at the ACI for less than a month when he walked away from a West Warwick senior center where he was working Monday on a work-detail program, according to ACI spokeswoman Tracey Poole.

“He took the trash out and didn’t come back,” she said today.

In the prison’s minimum-security unit, Jennings had been deemed a low-security risk and was, therefore, among a group of inmates who didn’t require a high level of supervision, Poole said. During his work detail, Jennings was supervised by the senior center’s staff.

Jennings began serving an 18-month sentence at the ACI on Oct. 27 for a breaking-and-entering charge, Poole said.

Now he must appear before a disciplinary board within the Department of Corrections, Poole said. He will likely be moved to a higher-security unit at the ACI.

A fugitive task force for the state police and the ACI’s special investigation unit caught Jennings near the Providence Performing Arts Center downtown around 5 p.m. yesterday, about 24 hours after he escaped, Poole said.

The last time an inmate escaped from an ACI work detail was on Oct. 16. Kevin Garrappa led more than a dozen state and local police officers on a three-hour pursuit through woods and neighborhoods after he ran away from a crew picking up litter along Route 138 in South Kingstown.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:59 PM | Comment

State police to crack down on seatbelt use

The Rhode Island State Police issued a warning today that troopers will be cracking down this Thanksgiving on drivers and their passengers who don't wear seatbelts.

The crackdown began Monday, according to a state police press release, and will extend through the coming weekend. The ticket for not wearing a seatbelt is $75.

"The upcoming Thanksgiving week is one of the most heavily traveled and one of the most dangerous and deadliest times of the year on America’s roadways, due to low seat belt use," reads the state police announcement. "To ensure motorists arrive alive for Thanksgiving dinner, your police stand unified with this message, ‘Click-it-or-Ticket.’"

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:56 PM | Comment

Providence fire chief to retire

PROVIDENCE – The city’s fire chief is retiring from the department after 27 years of service, prompting a nationwide search for a new chief.

Chief David D. Costa, 48, who began his career in the Providence department as a firefighter in the city’s West End, will retire at the end of the year, Mayor David N. Cicilline announced today.

The mayor credits Costa with professionalizing the department and developing its first merit-based system for promoting senior officers. Cicilline tapped Costa to lead the department in 2004.

“Chief Costa really distinguished himself by leading the 450 men and women of the Fire Department with honor and distinction under sometimes challenging circumstances,” Cicilline said in a statement.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:20 PM | Comment

Football coaches: Call in Thanksgiving results early

Tomorrow's weather forecast is not looking promising, but if your high school team ends up playing tomorrow, projo.com wants to report about it. High school coaches can call in results to (401) 277-7340, beginning at 1 p.m. tomorrow. We'll post the results and summaries on our High School Sports Blog as they come in, until 7 p.m. The blog will also have information about postponements.

Also, weather-permitting, you'll be able to find our photo galleries of the East Providence-La Salle, East Greenwich-Narragansett and Lincoln-Johnston games.
And we'll have a special slideshow where you can post your own Thanksgiving Day photos.

So far, three games have been postponed: Toll Gate at Bishop Hendricken, Warwick Vets vs. Pilgrim and Woonsocket at Cumberland. All three have been moved to Friday: Toll Gate and Hendricken will play at 2; Warwick Vets and Pilgrim will play at 6; and Cumberland and Woonsocket will play at 7.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:10 PM | Comment

More jail time for driver in Westerly fatal accident

NEW LONDON, Conn. -- A woman who spent 10 days in prison for hitting and killing an elderly Rhode Island woman is going back for 100 days more behind bars.

Britney Anderson, 20, of Stonington, Connecticut, has accepted a plea bargain on charges she violated probation by driving a car.

Anderson originally pleaded guilty to negligent homicide with a motor vehicle in the 2004 death of 73-year-old Sophie Pellegrino of Westerly. Pellegrino was walking to church.

Anderson was sentenced in July 2005 to ten days in prison and two years' probation and ordered not to drive for a year.

In recent months police say Anderson had been spotted driving, in apparent violation of her probation.

Anderson had denied driving and said the police were out to get her.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:33 PM | Comment

Students protest guidance counselor's removal

PROVIDENCE -- About 150 students from Perry Middle School staged a brief sit-in this morning to protest the removal of a guidance counselor.

The students are upset because Brian Cabral, who was recently appointed head of guidance, is being removed because he technically doesn't meet the qualifications for the position.

He was appointed late in September, but the school department's administration reviewed the appointment when another guidance counselor filed a grievance. The review revealed that Cabral didn't meet the requirement, because he hasn't been a guidance counselor for three years, according to Maria Tocco, a school spokeswoman.

The students, some carrying signs, refused to go to class this morning and sat by their lockers, but they agreed to return after about 20 minutes when Frances Rotella, principal, told them she would have a representative of the superintendent's office talk to them if they returned to class.

However, Tocco later said nobody from the superintendent's office would be addressing the students, and it would be up to the principal to explain the situation if necessary.

Meanwhile, Cabral's future is uncertain, and he doesn't know whether he will remain at Perry Middle School.

-- Journal staff writer Linda Borg

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:19 PM | Comment

Weather could make Thanksgiving travel messy

The busiest air travel day this week is now colliding with predictions for messy weather.

Some 3,500 passengers are expected to be moving through T.F. Green Airport tomorrow morning before 8 a.m., but the National Weather Service is urging travelers to complete their Thanksgiving treks home by sunset today if at all possible.

If the weather threatens to cancel or postpone flights tomorrow, travelers must check with their airlines about alternative options, airport spokeswoman Patti Goldstein said this morning.

“Our airlines will do everything in their power to get people home to their loved ones, but they’re going to have to check with their carriers,” Goldstein said. “Weather is something we can’t control.”

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Certain factors the airport can control should make travel smoother from here on in for passengers, as long as the weather is not problematic, Goldstein said.

Green is in the midst of an $83.5-million terminal improvement project, which has already reconfigured the area where passengers wait in line for security screenings, Goldstein said. The old main staircase has been covered and moved forward to provide more room for security screening lines, and the airport has added an additional lane at the security checkpoints, she said.

“We were targeting this first phase so we’d be ready for the holiday travel,” Goldstein explained.

Now it’s up to the weather to cooperate.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:41 AM | Comment

New York Times Co. spurns local bid for Boston Globe

BOSTON -- The New York Times Co. has spurned a proposal from a group of prominent Boston businessmen to buy The Boston Globe.

Times Co. Chief Executive Janet Robinson wrote in a letter dated Nov. 17 that the Globe remains an important asset and the company was not interested in pursuing the sale, two executives who have seen the letter told a Globe reporter.

Robinson's letter was in response to a letter from retired General Electric Co. Chief Executive Jack Welch asking for exclusive rights to negotiate with the Times Co.

-- The Associated Press

Welch could not be reached for comment and a Times Co. spokeswoman refused to comment to the newspaper.

But executives close to Welch's group, which includes Boston advertising executive Jack Connors and Boston concessionaire Joe O'Donnell, told the Globe that the three had no plans to abandon their effort.

Welch, Connors, and O'Donnell began discussing a potential bid for the Globe several months ago. An analysis done for them by investment bank JP Morgan Chase & Co. valued the Globe at $550 million to $600 million, about half the $1.1 billion the Times Co. paid for the paper in 1993.

The Times Co. reported last month that advertising revenue for its New England Media Group - led by the Globe - fell 10 percent in the first nine months of this year compared with the same period a year earlier, while circulation revenue fell 6.2 percent.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:21 AM | Comment

Bank to donate 50K to R.I. food bank

The Citizens Bank Foundation plans to announce at $50,000 grant to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank this morning.

During the 10 a.m. event at the food bank on Niantic Avenue, Citizens' employees, including Joseph J. MarcAurele, president and CEO of Citizens Rhode Island, will help the food bank's Community Kitchen students prepare turkey dinners for area children.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:45 AM | Comment

Newport considers pipeline to avoid beach pollution

NEWPORT, R.I. -- Town authorities are considering a new pipeline to carry storm water away from popular beaches in Newport and Middletown.

The goal is to keep Easton's Beach in Newport and Atlantic Beach in Middletown from being polluted with fecal bacteria. Bacteria sometimes floods the harbor when drainage systems are deluged with rainwater.

Regulators at the state Department of Environmental Management aren't sure the plan is a good idea.

One DEM engineer says the proposed pipeline would just move a pollution source from one place to another. He says the pipeline won't be approved if it dumps human sewage into the water.

Still, the state is paying for about half the cost of a study exploring the idea.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:27 AM | Comment

Travel today if possible, storm moving in for Thanksgiving

Get to your Thanksgiving destination by sunset today if you can.

That’s the National Weather Service’s recommendation, given a vastly altered forecast for the rest of this week than was predicted on Monday. A strong coastal storm located off the North Carolina coast this morning seems to have spoiled our plans for a mostly sunny Thanksgiving.

It now looks as if we could have heavy rain, strong winds and minor coastal flooding on Thanksgiving Day and night, as this storm should being tracking northeast today.

The storm has brought heavy rain to the mid-Atlantic and southeast states, with more than 3 inches of rain in some locations and strong winds across the mid-Atlantic region with winds greater than 50 miles per hour along the coast.

If you haven’t booked plane tickets for tomorrow morning – as many have, you still have time to avoid traveling during this messy weather. This morning’s dry weather across southern New England should persist through daylight hours, but a large rain shield offshore will then begin to cover the region.

That’s why the National Weather Service is encouraging people to travel today to their Thanksgiving destinations if possible.

Check back with us for the latest conditions and forecasts throughout this holiday week.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:13 AM | Comment

November 21, 2006

Update: Portsmouth motorcyclist dies after hitting school bus

PORTSMOUTH -- A Portsmouth man died this afternoon after crashing his motorcycle into a packed school bus on East Main Road.

Police are still investigating what happened, but they say the school bus was turning left onto East Main Road from President Avenue when "it was struck by a motorcycle" going north on East Main Road.

The motorcyclist, identified as Mark Bissonnette, 48, of 24 Valhalla Drive, Portsmouth, was pronounced dead at St. Anne's Hospital in Fall River, Mass., at 3:40 p.m.

None of the 45 children on the bus was injured. The bus driver was taken to the hospital for precautionary measures, the police said.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:09 PM | Comment

Bookkeeper accused of embezzling $95,000 from gun shop

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The police confirmed today that a Westerly woman has been charged with embezzling more than $95,000 from a local gun dealer.

Alethea J. Reynolds, 32, of 55 Beach St., Apt. 4, was arrested late last week and charged with embezzling $95,337.30 from from Universal Firearms, 265 Main St., Wakefield, over a period of a little more than a year.

Reynolds worked as a bookkeeper for the gun dealer for about two years.

“Some red flags had gone up as far as the profits, so the owner conducted his personal audit of the company,” South Kingstown Detective Jason C. Wheatley said today.

On Nov. 13, Henry “Hank” Almonte, the store owner, filed a complaint with the South Kingstown police and provided police with bookkeeping records. Reynolds was arrested three days later.

She is scheduled to next appear in court Dec. 26.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:58 PM | Comment

Big Papi gets 3rd place in MVP voting

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz failed to win the American League's Most Valuable Player award today, finishing in third place behind the New York Yankees' Derek Jeter and the Minnesota Twins' Justin Morneau.

Morneau received 15 first-place votes, while Jeter earned 12. Ortiz didn't earn any, but he got one second-place vote and 11 third-place votes.

Morneau hit .321 with 34 homers and 130 RBIs last year, helping the Twins win the A.L. Central for the fourth time in five years. Jeter batted .344 with 14 homers and 97 RBIs.

Ortiz, known by Boston fans as "Big Papi" and loved for his late-game heroics, batted .287 with 54 homeruns and 137 RBIs.

He has been in the top five in MVP voting for the past four years.

-- Projo.com staff and wire reports

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:57 PM | Comment

Motorcyclist dies after hitting school bus in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH -- A motorcyclist died today when he collided with a school bus.

Police are still investigating what happened, but they say the victim wasn't wearing a helmet.

None of the 45 children on the bus was injured.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:54 PM | Comment

Photo: New surface takes to the field at Gillette

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
The days of natural grass at Gillette Stadium are over, as workers put the new FieldTurf surface into place. Above, they paint the New England Patriots log in the north end zone. The new covering is built to have better "bounce back" and last longer than previous yarns. The Pats are also paying to have special brown rubber in its infill, giving the turf an even more natural look. Given the field's area of 94,000 square feet, nearly one million pounds of infill will be used.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 6:07 PM | Comment

Travel update: Hotlines can help drivers avoid jams / Photo

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Krislynn Gobeille of Woonsocket, a freshman at Drexel University in Philadelphia, chose to make her way home by train. Above, she calls a friend to pick her up after arriving at the Amtrak station in Providence today just before noon.

Are you driving somewhere for Thanksgiving? Better leave plenty of time to get where you need to go, as this is one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation urges motorists to use its resources when planning a road trip. From the road, drivers can always call 511 and use the automated voice-recognition system to check the status of roadways and weather. If you’re out of state, you can check Rhode Island’s roads by dialing (888) 401-4511. Alternatively, before leaving home, you can check the 511 system online.

People traveling south for the holiday may want to check out Trips 123 online for Connecticut, New York and New Jersey road conditions. The Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Traveler Information Gateway also provides motorists with traffic cams and information about traffic incidents.

If you’re heading north, try these numbers: (800) ICY-ROAD (429-7623) for Vermont road and tourist information and (866) 282-7579 for New Hampshire travel news.

For expanded traffic resources -- air, land or water -- browse projo.com's collection of online resources for travelers.

For other local traffic needs, check out the Rhode Island roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find any traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:57 PM | Comment

Health and Human Services head to retire

PROVIDENCE — Ronald A. Lebel announced this afternoon that he will retire at the end of the year from his job as director of the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Lebel, 56, has led the department since August of 2003, when he first took over in as acting director. He was confirmed by the Senate in as permanent director in April.
Governor Carcieri does not yet have a replacement lined up to fill the cabinet-level position.

The department oversees the state’s Family Independence Program, Rhode Island’s version of welfare, as well as RIte Care, the state’s health-insurance program for the poor. It also has a hand in dealing with foster children and the state’s elderly and disabled, military veterans, and hospitals.

It has an annual budget of $1.7 billion and the director oversees more than 1,000 employees.

A lawyer, Lebel has been a state employee since 1978, when he became special counsel to the director of the Department of Business Regulation. He joined the Department of Human Services later that year as legal counsel.

Lebel took over the department when Carcieri named Jane Hayward, the previous director, to head the new state Office of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Department of Human Services and four other state departments.

-- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:56 PM | Comment

Update: Woman shot to death in Pawtucket

PAWTUCKET – Police have identified the woman shot to death early this morning in Pawtucket.

Jennifer Duarte, 24, of Atlantic Ave., was found at the intersection of Hurley and Grotto avenues sometime after 1 a.m.. She had been shot several times, according to the police.

Authorities responded to the scene after receiving phone calls about a shooting in the vicinity of Hurley Avenue. Duarte was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone who may have information about the shooting should contact the police at (401)727-9100, extension 777.

-- projo.com staff writers Kate Bramson and Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:36 PM | Comment

Not guilty pleas entered for Beagle Club

PROVIDENCE -- The Little Rhody Beagle Club and its former president appeared in federal court today to answer charges of killing federally-protected birds of prey to protect the club's stock of rabbits.

While a plea bargain had been reached between prosecutors and club officials, a federal magistrate continued the matter today to determine which court official would rule on the deal.

The magistrate entered not guilty pleas on behalf of former club president William Forward and the club. The next hearing has not yet been scheduled.

The government contends that the Warwick dog club, which trains beagles to flush rabbits out of cover, killed birds such as red-tailed hawks and great-horned owls, using guns, steel leg-hold traps, and by setting out as bait, eggs and animal carcasses seeded with insecticides.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:18 PM | Comment

More than 100 implicated in drug, gun investigation

PROVIDENCE -- Nearly 100 people in Providence have either been arrested or are still being sought as part of a major drugs and firearms investigation.

Mayor David Cicilline and local police officials announced the arrests today.

They say roughly 70 people were arrested last week, and arrest warrants are outstanding for about 25 others. The multi-agency investigation began in January.

In addition, Providence Police Chief Dean Esserman says Providence was selected by the National Urban League to replicate a program begun several years ago in a North Carolina city.

The program offers offenders substance-abuse counseling, job training and other assistance in exchange for not arresting them. The police say they've identified seven people eligible for the program.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:17 PM | Comment

R.I. Senate Dems meet to choose new leadership

PROVIDENCE -- Senate Democrats will gather on Smith Hill to select their leadership team for the next session of the General Assembly, which opens in January.

The 5 p.m. caucus will be in the Senate Lounge and is open to the public.

There aren't any surprises expected. Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed, D-Newport, among others, will look to retain her leadership role.

And while the Senate president selection requires the vote of the full Senate, the caucus plans to endorse a candidate at today's meeting. Current Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano, D-North Providence, is the leading contender, despite the recent disclosure of an FBI investigation into his legal work for the Town of West Warwick.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Katherine Gregg

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:54 PM | Comment

Providence skating rink opens today

PROVIDENCE -- Another sign the holiday season is upon us...

The Bank of America skating center in Providence's Kennedy Plaza opens for the first time this winter season today at 4 p.m.

The 14,000 sq. ft. facility, which the mayor's office notes "is twice the size of Rockefeller Plaza’s ice rink in New York City," allows Providence residents to skate for free on the first Saturday of each month.

“The Bank of America City Center offers the perfect way to spend a winter day or evening for our residents and visitors alike,” Mayor David N. Cicilline said in a statement.“

Last year more than 60,000 skaters experienced the thrill of gliding across the ice and this year promises to be just as exciting.”

General admission is $6 and $3 for seniors and children (under 12). Skate rental is $4. The rink is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.

It's even open on Thanksgiving Day from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:39 PM | Comment

Tips for a safe Thanksgiving

Whether you’re hosting people for Thanksgiving in two days or you’re cooking a dish and taking it home to Mom’s, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on food-preparation safety tips. You certainly don’t want anyone getting sick because they ate your stuffing!

The state Department of Health has issued tips for preventing foodborne illnesses during the holiday:

Stay clean: Wash hands and food-contact surfaces often, since bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and contaminate cutting boards, kitchen utensils, sponges and countertops.

Avoid cross-contamination: Don't let bacteria spread from one food product to another. This is especially true for raw meat, poultry and seafood. Experts caution that you should keep these foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.

Cook foods to proper temperatures: Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses.

Chill: Public health officials advise consumers to refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Refrigerators should be set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and freezers at zero. Occasionally check the accuracy of the settings with a thermometer.

Other food safety tips:

Thaw turkeys in the refrigerator (40 degrees Fahrenheit or below) and allow approximately 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds.

Cook whole turkeys – and the stuffing inside the turkey -- to a minimum of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Check whether the turkey is done by inserting a food thermometer into the inner thigh area near the breast of the turkey, but not touching the bone.

See additional information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on safely roasting a turkey.

Use pasteurized eggs to prepare eggnog, since unpasteurized eggs may contain bacteria that can cause illness.

Ensure adequate refrigerator space for storage of planned menu items both before and after dinner is served.

Do not leave perishable foods at room temperature for more than two hours.

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:33 PM | Comment

Fire in Olneyville building under control / Photo

Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski
Providence firefighters this morning contain a fire at an abandoned warehouse for the former Colonial Knife at Agnes and Oak in Providence.

PROVIDENCE – A fire in a vacant commercial building in Olneyville this morning has been brought under control.

Crews were called to the scene of the Old Colonial Knife building, at 40 Agnes St., around 9:30 a.m., and the fire was under control by 10:05 a.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

No one was injured in the fire, Taylor said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:26 AM | Comment

Travel: Packing right will help make a smooth flight

We’ve heard many of you out there haven’t flown since last Thanksgiving and are wondering just how the world of air travel has changed. What you really want to know is how to pack appropriately so you’re following the latest travel restrictions, right?

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has plenty of information on its Web site about what you can and cannot bring aboard an airplane.

For starters, you must pack any liquids, aerosols and gels you’re carrying on the plane in small containers and in a clear plastic bag. The TSA is promoting this as the 3-1-1 rule. Your items must be in containers that are 3 ounces or smaller. You must use a one-quart-size clear plastic, zip-top bag. Each passenger can travel with only one such bag, which must be carried separately and sent through the security checkpoints by itself.

The TSA also provides tips about traveling with baby formula and breast milk and how to protect your laptop computers.

Larger containers of liquids, aerosols and gels can be carried on planes as long as they’re in checked bags, according to Joseph S. Salter, federal security director at T.F. Green Airport and a Transportation Security Administration employee

Other travel trips from the TSA include:

Do not wrap gifts: If security officers must inspect the package, they may have to unwrap the gift.

Pack smart: Bringing prohibited items just delays the screening process for you and others. Check the rules before packing your bags.

Arrive on time: Check with your individual airline on its preference for how early you should be at the terminal. You must have a boarding pass and valid government photo ID to enter the security checkpoint.

Dress the part: Metal in your clothing may set off the walk-through metal detectors. Pack coins, keys, jewelry, belt buckles and other metal items in your carry-on bags. Remember that all shoes must be removed and screened by TSA. Passengers also need to remove blazers, suit coats and bulky sweaters in addition to outer garments.

Pack undeveloped film in your carry-on bags. Give film that is faster than 800-speed to a security officer for physical inspection to avoid an X-ray.

Think: Belligerent behavior, inappropriate jokes and threats will not be tolerated. Such incidents will result in delays and possibly missing your flight. Local law enforcement may be called as necessary.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:30 AM | Comment

Big Blue Bug lighting today

PROVIDENCE -- Nibbles Woodaway will become a shining star today.

Woodaway, better known as the Big Blue Bug of Interstate 95, has been adorned with more than 5,000 holiday lights. This afternoon, the bug will shine.

The head of Opera Providence, which recently performed "The Bug Opera," will flick the switch at 4:30 p.m., marking the 14th annual lighting of the Big Blue Bug.

The bug, owned by New England Pest Control, will also don a red nose and antlers.

Your turn: Is it OK to put up Christmas lights and play Christmas music before Thanksgiving?

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:26 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

Today's top stories: Soldiers return from Iraq, Election Day recounts, and a fractured GOP.

Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:09 AM | Comment

Grab the hat, it's chilly

PROVIDENCE – At a cool 28 degrees this morning, November has shown its true colors.

Let’s consider ourselves lucky for all the warm weather we’ve had lately. Now, it appears as if it’s time for winter to settle in.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for the region, with a freeze warning for Suffolk County (Boston and beyond) this morning, and a warning of a coastal storm with wind and rain that should spread out over southern New England late on Thanksgiving.

We’ll see a high of 48 today and high daytime temps hovering around there for the rest of the week.

During the day, Thanksgiving Day should be mostly cloudy with a high of 47.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment

November 20, 2006

Attorney general closes WBUR investigation

PROVIDENCE -- The attorney general's office said this afternoon that it has closed the investigation related to the potential sale of WRNI by Boston-based WBUR, both of which serve as local outlets for National Public Radio.

Last year, after learning that Boston University, which owns WRNI, might sell the station, the office launched "a probe" into the situation, according to an announcement released by the attorney general this afternoon.

The attorney general closed its investigation today because of WBUR's "recommitment to public radio in Rhode Island," evidenced by its "fulfillment of its pledge to hire a full-time general manager for the Rhode Island station, to re-engage with a local public radio advisory board, and to implement consistent allocation of Rhode Island charitable donations to WRNI."

WBUR acquired WRNI 1290 AM in 1998. Its sister station, WXNI 1230 AM in Westerly, was acquired a year later. Combined, the stations serves greater Providence, Fall River, Narragansett Bay, southwestern Rhode Island, and southeastern Connecticut.

"WBUR has taken the critical steps to ensure the viability of WRNI, a valued
charitable institution in Rhode Island," Attorney General Patrick Lynch said in a statement. "Based on these positive developments, I am terminating the investigation."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:41 PM | Comment

Supreme Court backs Fortunato in Cranston recount

The Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled today that the state Board of Elections must comply with a lower court's order to photocopy ballots that can't be read by machines for manual inspection.

The board had strongly opposed last week's decision by Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. -- which followed a motion from Cranston mayoral candidate Allan W. Fung -- saying it would increase mistakes and facilitate a manual review process that would mirror the tortured presidential election recount of 2000.

Lawyers for Fung, who trails Democrat Michael T. Napolitano by 71 votes, argued that it may be possible to determine the voter’s intent on ballots rejected by voting machines. “The paper ballots are the way to verify that the machines are working properly,” said Fung campaign lawyer, Angel Taveras. “That’s why we have paper ballots.”

Fortunado agreed. And so did the state Supreme Court.

It's unclear what the Board of Election reaction will be. The board already suspended all recounts indefinitely, pending the Supreme Court ruling. Eight contests have been held up by the legal action.

More to come on Projo.com

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:22 PM | Comment

Mayor to host food drive at his house

PROVIDENCE -- You are invited to Mayor David N. Cicilline's East Side home tomorrow, so long as you are carrying turkeys, vegetables and canned goods that will go to the needy this Thanksgiving holiday.

The mayor's annual food drive -- which typically attracts "hundreds" of donors -- is scheduled for tomorrow from 5 to 9 p.m. at Cicilline's home, 702 Elmgrove Ave., according to an announcement released this afternoon by the mayor's office.

A separate food drive sponsored by the Providence Bruins produced 629 pounds of food for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank today, more than doubling last year's total, food bank spokesman Michael Cerio said this afternoon.

The food bank distributes more than 9 million pounds of food each year, Cerio said, but "it's hundreds of efforts each year like this that make a difference."

Tomorrow, volunteers will be on hand at Cicilline's house to put the donations in baskets, which will be distributed on Wednesday to various organizations that serve those in need.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:19 PM | Comment

NY man charged with DUI in fatal Tiverton crash

TIVERTON -- The police believe that a New York man was drunk when he crashed his Jaguar late last week on Nannaquaket Road, killing his female passenger.

Brian T. Fiske, 46, of 61 Filken St., Fairport, N.Y., was arraigned yesterday at Rhode Island Hospital, where he was recovering from an arm injury suffered during the high-speed crash, according to Tiverton Deputy Police Chief Nicholas Maltais.

Fiske was released from the hospital later in the day, and spent last night at the Adult Correctional Institutions, in Cranston, after failing to post the $100,000 surety bail, Maltais said today.

Fiske was charged with driving under the influence, death resulting, and driving to endanger, death resulting. Both are felonies.

Driving a 1999 Jaquar southbound on Nannaquaket Road last Thursday at about 9:30 p.m., Fiske's car left the road north of Leonard Drive, Maltais said. Fiske hit a drainage culvert, went up on a lawn at 299 Nannaquaket Rd., struck a tree and continued south, grazing two ornamental stone walls on the north and south sides of Leonard Drive.

Fiske's car came to a stop several hundred feet from where it initially left the road, Maltais said.

A passenger, Elizabeth H. Ahearn, 59, of 2002 Main Rd., Westport, Mass., was pronounced dead at the accident scene.

Maltais said that although Fiske has a New York address, he had been staying in Westport for some time.

Tiverton police consulted the attorney general's office before charging Fiske, according to Maltais.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:04 PM | Comment

Bad timing: Winter squash recall issued

PROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Health issued an alert today that 3 million packages of frozen cooked winter squash have been recalled -- just three days before Thanksgiving.

The national food-seller Birds Eye Foods voluntarily issued the recall of the popular Thanksgiving dish -- sold under the Birds Eye brand, which is offered by Stop & Shop -- after detecting the presence of ammonia in some packages.

The presence of ammonia may cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and irritation of the throat, according to the health department.

The cooked winter squash was produced by Michigan-based Chase Farms, which has ceased production and distribution for Birds Eye Foods while it continues to investigate the problem.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:39 PM | Comment

Police ID man hurt in alleged DUI hit-and-run

WARWICK -- The police have identified the 19-year-old Sears employee who was injured on Saturday afternoon when he was hit by an allegedly drunken driver who fled the scene of the accident.

Zachary Hewes, of Narragansett Ave., in Providence, was hit outside the Sears at 650 Bald Hill Road while on a break at about 5 p.m., the police say. He is being treated at Rhode Island Hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman, who would not disclose his condition.

The accident occurred as Hewes crossed Route 113, in front of the Rhode Island Mall. The police have charged the motorist, Robert Saladino, 43, of Liverpool Street, with driving under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of a personal-injury accident.

He was released on $300 bail later on Saturday. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 13 in Kent County District Court, according to police Capt. Matthew Costello.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

The impact upended Hewes, who landed atop the car’s windshield and then rolled into the street.

The DUI charge is a misdemeanor. The charge of fleeing the scene of the accident is a felony, Costello said.

Though Saladino allegedly fled the scene, the police arrested him shortly after the accident at the intersection of Route 113 and Route 2. The police say Saladino was stopped at a traffic light about 500 feet from where Hewes lay injured when two motorists who had witnessed the accident accosted him and removed his keys, Costello said. The police, who had been alerted by several 911 calls, were already on the way.

“One of the civilian vehicles blocked him in at the intersection,” Lt. Raymond Gallucci, the officer in charge of the Traffic Division, said yesterday. “He just stayed there until the police arrived.”

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:35 PM | Comment

R.I. priest who helped kids with HIV dies in Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya -- The Rev. Angelo D'Agostino, a priest from Rhode Island who opened one of the first orphanages for HIV-positive children in Kenya and fought to make AIDS drugs affordable to the poor, died today of a heart attack. He was 80.

D'Agostino had been hospitalized for a week with abdominal pain and died after surgery, said Sister Mary Owens, who has worked at the Nyumbani Children's Home since it opened in 1992 in Karen, a suburb of Nairobi.

D'Agostino - known at the orphanage as Father D'Ag - opened Nyumbani with just three HIV-positive children.

Nyumbani - which means home in Swahili - now houses more than 100 children, and is also the base for a community-outreach program that provides home care for about 2,000 people suffering from AIDS.

Owens lamented that D'Agostino didn't live to see next week's opening of Nyumbani Village, a community for AIDS orphans who were taken in by a grandparent or other caregiver. The village will help its occupants "sustain themselves through agriculture, poultry, dairy projects as well as handicrafts and external services," according to its Web site.

Two million of Kenya's 33 million people have HIV, although the number of new infections has been declining. In recent years, D'Agostino pushed for cheaper AIDS drugs and sued five primary schools to force them to admit HIV-positive children.

A native of Providence, R.I., D'Agostino spent two years as a surgeon with the U.S. Air Force before joining the Jesuits in 1955. He traveled to Africa as part of the Jesuit Refugee Service, using Nairobi as a base to go to Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zaire, now Congo.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki sent a letter of condolences today, saying D'Agostino "distinguished himself as a great Christian who worked diligently in serving vulnerable members of society and propagating the Christian faith."

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:25 PM | Comment

Update: Feds detail security plans for holiday travel

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is planning random security checks at rail stations throughout Rhode Island over the Thanksgiving travel week.

The security will include dogs trained to detect explosives and may also include searches of passengers if officials have probable cause to think they're traveling with something dangerous, according to Joseph Salter, the TSA's federal security director for Rhode Island.

TSA and U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente earlier this year asked federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to focus on rail security at Rhode Island train stations during this year’s holiday season, according to Corrente’s office.

This is the first such effort at Rhode Island rail stations, although the TSA has conducted such searches in perhaps a dozen other communities in the past year, according to Ann Davis, TSA's public affairs manager for the New England region.

The agencies are not responding to any “credible threat” against the local rail stations, Salter said. Rather, they’re working to ensure that they’re ready to mobilize if necessary, he said.

Also, Salter is stressing that air travelers can only bring one, one-quart clear plastic bag with liquids, aerosols and gels in carry-on bags. Those containers of liquids, gels or aerosols cannot exceed three ounces.

Passengers must carry the plastic bags separately through security checkpoints so they can be scanned individually.

Larger containers of liquids, aerosols and gels can be carried on planes as long as they’re in checked bags, Salter said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

This week, 25 million passengers are expected to fly nationally, Salter said, with the largest volume of passengers actually traveling on Thanksgiving Day.

The busiest travel time will likely be before 8 a.m. Thursday, Salter said. He expects some 3,500 passengers will have gone through the airport by that time. In contrast, just 2,751 passengers moved through T.F. Green Airport last Thursday by 8 a.m., he said.

Links to some of Green's largest airline carriers:

Southwest Airlines

U.S. Airways

Northwest Airlines

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:07 PM | Comment

Man gets two years in prison for killing brother

PROVIDENCE -- For stabbing to death his brother in 2004, Michael O’Connor was sentenced today to 20 years in jail – two years to serve and 18 years suspended with probation and counseling for alcohol abuse and for mental health. Superior Court Judge Mark A. Pfeiffer deferred enforcement of the sentence to Jan. 2.

O’Connor, 30, in August accepted a plea bargain on a charge of manslaughter, admitting he stabbed his brother Daniel in the chest in September 2004, killing him after a night of drinking and arguing. Michael O’Connor claimed he acted in self defense; prosecutors in court said he had acted in anger.

O’Connor’s family spoke in court on his behalf this morning, pleading for leniency, and telling the judge they didn’t want to lose another member of the family.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:52 PM | Comment

Suspect to be arraigned in hospital tomorrow

CRANSTON — A justice of the peace will attempt to arraign Joseph Erice at Rhode Island Hospital tomorrow, 10 days after Erice allegedly stabbed a man during an attempted robbery and was later shot by the police.

The police say they have not formally charged Erice because he has not been healthy enough to participate in an arraignment.

“You have to be coherent,” police Commander Kevin Lynch said this morning. “His medical condition has not allowed him to be presented to the court for an arraignment.”

The hospital has declined to describe Erice’s condition. The police arrested Erice on Nov. 11, after he allegedly broke into the Mohawk Trail home of Abraham Boyrazian, 65, around 11 p.m. During the attempted burglary, the police say, Erice stabbed Boyrazian. At some point that night, Erice also stabbed another man, Brian Houle, 23, of Providence, before running away, the police say.

A patrolman, whose name has not been released, shot Erice after Erice bludgeoned an officer while resisting arrest, the police say.

The police say Erice, 25, of 37 Gude St., Seekonk, will be charged with one felony count for assaulting Boyrazian; one felony count for assaulting Houle; and one felony count for assaulting a police officer. They also plan to file charges related to the alleged burglary and a break-in at another house in the area Saturday night.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:50 PM | Comment

Gas prices up for second consecutive week

Gas prices across the state rose last week for the second consecutive week, according to a survey released this morning by AAA Southern New England.

The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded self-serve gasoline was $2.23 -- up four cents from the previous week.

Last year at this time the average price was $2.08.

The higher prices won't deter people from traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday, according to the AAA survey. The company found that 80 percent of gas stations surveyed will be open on Thanksgiving, though many will limit their hours.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:50 AM | Comment

Providence Fox affiliate won't air O.J. "If I Did It" special

Several Fox affiliates -- including the one in Providence -- have chosen not to broadcast "If I Did It," the two-part special where O.J. Simpson talks in hypothetical terms about his role in the 1994 killing of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Lin Broadcasting and Pappas Broadcasting, which own a combined nine Fox affiliates, have said they won't air it. Fox has scheduled the Simpson interview for Nov. 27 and 29.

The television special precedes the Nov. 30 publication of a book where Simpson talks about how he would have committed the murders "if he were the one responsible."

Lin Broadcasting owns Fox affiliates in Providence, Mobile, Ala.; Toledo, Ohio; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Green Bay, Wisc.

The Pappas stations said they were uninterested in helping Simpson profit from the project.

Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of murder in a case that became its own television drama. The former football star and announcer was later found liable for the deaths in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Goldman family.

Judith Regan, publisher of "If I Did It," said she considered the book to be Simpson's confession.

The television special will air on two of the final three nights of the November sweeps, when ratings are watched closely to set local advertising rates. It has been a particularly tough fall for Fox, which has seen none of its new shows catch on and is waiting for the January bows of "American Idol" and "24."

The show is expected to draw high ratings among the curious, but there's some question about how much Fox can take advantage of it given an expected reluctance of advertisers to be associated with it.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:43 AM | Comment

Photo: Cleaning up after a fire in Pawtucket

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Pawtucket firefighter Steve Small gathers up a hose as crews clean up after a fire at 727 Mineral Spring Ave. this morning.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:34 AM | Comment

Update: Tractor trailer rollover cleared on 95 North

The tractor trailer rollover at Exit 29 on Route 95 North has now cleared, and traffic is back to normal, the state's Transportation Management Center says.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:58 AM | Comment

Elderly woman struck, killed walking from church

PORTSMOUTH – The police continue to investigate a Saturday evening accident in which a 90-year-old woman was struck and killed while walking home from church.

Adelia Payton had gone to a 5 p.m. Mass at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 2836 E. Main Rd., which is about a quarter mile from her home at 3137 E. Main Rd., Police Chief Col. Lance E. Hebert said this morning.

The preliminary investigation shows that Payton was in the crosswalk of the moderately busy East Main Road, walking from the church on the west side of the road to the east side when she was struck by a 1993 Ford SUV, Hebert said.

The police have identified the driver as Joseph Loffredo, 57, of 125 Bayside Ave. in Portsmouth. No criminal charges or traffic violations have been filed at this time, although the accident reconstruction team continues to investigate, Hebert said.

That stretch of East Main Road is very straight, and the speed limit is 25 miles per hour, Hebert said. It’s unclear at this time how fast Loffredo was driving, but the investigation may indicate an approximate speed.

Over the years, a few pedestrians have been struck along that stretch of road, Hebert said. In 1998, a 48-year-old woman was struck and killed when she stepped in front of a truck on East Main Road.

And last year, 64-year-old Jean Correia was killed in a crosswalk on East Main Road near her elderly housing complex not far away from Saturday's incident.

The police urge anyone who directly witnessed the accident and has not yet spoken with police to contact the detective division, at (401) 683-0994.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:26 AM | Comment

Download today's page one

Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee's election loss has cast some uncertainty on Chafee's nomination of former state Supreme Court Justice Robert G. Flanders Jr. for a seat on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to a page one story.

But there was no doubt about the outcome of yesterday's Patriots' game as the Pats rolled, 35-0, over Green Bay. Running back Laurence Maroney, who gained 82 yards rushing, is shown cutting past a Packers' defender in a page one photograph.

Download today's front page.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:39 AM | Comment

R.I. Guard members returning today after year in Iraq

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Sixteen members of the Rhode Island Army National Guard are expected to return today after one year in Iraq.

Members of the Guard’s Company D, 126th Aviation, are set to arrive at Quonset Point at 5:15 p.m.

The unit was deployed in October 2005 to Balad, Iraq, where they flew C-23 Sherpa aircraft, utility airplanes designed to move light cargo, perform airdrop missions and provide aero-medical evacuations.

The welcome-home ceremony for the troops is open to the public.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:56 AM | Comment

Clouds giving way to sun today and for the week

PROVIDENCE – It’s cooler than it has been lately, with a high expected near 47 today.

But this Thanksgiving week looks beautiful. This morning’s cloudy skies should give way to mostly sunny skies later today.

The rest of the week is expected to be mostly sunny, with highs in the high 40s and low 50s. Nights should be clear, with lows ranging from the mid-20s to the mid-30s.

Thanksgiving Day should be mostly sunny, with a high near 51.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:04 AM | Comment

November 17, 2006

Update: Lynch to turn over some Station evidence

PROVIDENCE -- A day after refusing to release evidence prepared for the Station fire trials of Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, Attorney General Patrick Lynch has moved to open some records.

Lynch filed a memo in Superior Court today seeking the release of "certain materials in response to pending and future Access to Public records Act requests." Specifically, Lynch plans to release written reports of two experts, some test results and some photographs.

The motion does not detail the evidence to be released. Nor does it address more than 900 witness statements and other evidence collected by attorneys in preparation for the trials of the Derderians and Daniel Biechele, who pled guilty to starting the 2003 blaze that killed 100 people at a separate trial.

Yesterday, Lynch said he could not make the materials public because of privacy concerns and because of orders issued by Judge Darigan.

But today, Lynch spokesman Michael Healey said the attorney general wants to disclose as much evidence as he can, such as witness statements and sentencing information, including letters from victims of the fire and their families, Healey said.

Some photographs will be released, Healey said, but not those that are so grisly they would violate the dignity of victims. Photos of dead bodies will not be released.

Healey said that Judge Darigan had put in place orders that barred the release of investigation materials and that is the reason that Lynch could not release more records. Once Darigan removes the orders, Healey said, Lynch would release as much information as he could under the state access to Public Records law.

The fate of secret Station grand jury records and testimony is still to be decided in a separate legal case that is winding through the courts. The next step in that case is a Dec. 13 hearing before Presiding Superior Justice Joseph Rodgers

Lynch is committed to "making public as quickly as possible everything he could make public,’’ Healey said.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Scott MacKay

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:26 PM | Comment

Get chicken wings for canned goods at P-Bruins

The Providence Bruins will be collecting nonperishable food items before home hockey games tonight and Sunday to help the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

Starting an hour before each game, Providence Bruins players, wives and girlfriends will collect nonperishable food items in the lobby of the Dunkin Donuts Center.

Everyone who brings a food item will receive a coupon for 10 free chicken wings from Wings to Go.

The food items will be delivered by Bruins players to the food bank Monday.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:59 PM | Comment

16 soldiers return from Iraq in time for Thanksgiving

Sixteen Rhode Islanders will be back home in time for the turkey, family and football that they missed last year.

The Rhode Island Army National Guard announced today that 16 members will return to Quonset Point Monday evening after spending more than a year in Iraq.

The guard's Company D, 126th Aviation was mobilized in October 2005 and spent the last year flying C-23 Sherpa aircraft to perform airdrops and medical evacuations in the violent conflict.

"We are thrilled to be able to welcome home more of our National Guard patriots who have fulfilled a critical role while deployed to Iraq, Adjutant General Robert T. Bray said in a statement released this afternoon. "We are especially thankful to have them home in time to enjoy a much-deserved Thanksgiving with their families who have also sacrificed, through the absence of their loved ones, for the past 12 months."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:41 PM | Comment

Beagle club headed to court on charges of killing birds

PROVIDENCE -- The Little Rhody Beagle Club and its president are scheduled to appear before a federal judge Tuesday to answer charges of killing federally-protected birds of prey.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office announced the court hearing this afternoon, a day after prosecutors said a plea bargain had been reached.

The government contends that the Warwick dog club, which trains beagles to flush rabbits out of cover, killed birds such as red-tailed hawks and great-horned owls, using guns, steel leg-hold traps, and by setting out as bait, eggs and animal carcasses seeded with insecticides.

Club president William Forward and other club representatives are scheduled to appear in federal court Tuesday at 2 p.m.

While a plea bargain has been reached, it's unclear if the judge will rule on the agreement or set another hearing, according to Tom Connell, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Read more about the Little Rhody Beagle Club case, from today's Journal.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:07 PM | Comment

Defendant pleads no contest in Lincoln doctor's 1999 murder

PROVIDENCE -- A 38-year-old former Providence man will be sentenced to 40 years in prison for the bludgeoning death of a doctor in his Lincoln home, the Attorney General's Office announced today.

Angel Navarro, who is also known as Victor Medina and Angel Torres, pleaded no contest yesterday in Providence County Superior Court to one count of second-degree murder for the death of Dr. Alfred C. Moon.

Navarro, formerly of 80 Curtis St., Providence, agreed at his plea to a sentence of 40 years to serve, with a sentencing cap of 60 years. He has been scheduled for formal sentencing at 2 p.m. Dec. 15 before Judge Mark A. Pfeiffer in Providence Superior Court.

Dr. Moon's body was found at his Kirkbrae Estates home in Lincoln on Aug. 19, 1999, just days after Navarro's release from the Adult Correcitional Institutions. Navarro had been serving a sentence for possession of a controlled substance.

If the case had gone to trial, the Attorney General's Office said it was prepared to present evidence that Navarro beat Moon, 67, to death with a lamp.

Almost five years later, on June 22, 2004, Navarro was arrested by the Rhode Island State Police on a warrant for violating his probation in Fort Myers, Fla., and extradited to Rhode Island.

Navarro was indicted on one count of murder of an unspecified degree on July
8, 2005. He has been held without bail at the ACI since June 25, 2004, for the murder of Dr. Moon and is also serving his 4-year sentence as a probation violator.

"The brutal murder of Dr. Moon shocked our entire community and devastated his family, colleagues, and friends," Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said. "The relentless pursuit of justice in this case will finally come to an end after more than seven years next month when the defendant will be sentenced for this killing. It's a tribute to the tenacity of the Rhode Island State Police and the Lincoln Police that this cold case was solved so that a career criminal's career is over."

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:15 PM | Comment

State swaps lawsuits with emissions testing company

PROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Administration filed a $100,000 counter suit today against an auto emissions testing contractor.

Aside from the $100,000, the state is also trying to force Applus Technologies to turn over data that will allow a replacement vendor to administer the statewide Safety and Emissions Safety Testing program.

Last month, the state awarded a five-year contract to run the program to SysTech International after opening the process to competitive bidding. Applus sued the state last week seeking to block the replacement company from taking over, citing a flawed bidding process.

The state dismisses those claims.

“By refusing to turn over this critical program data, Applus is holding the state’s emissions and safety testing program hostage. This is a clear violation of both the contract and state law,” said Brian P. Stern, executive director of the Department of Administration. “As a result of our competitive bidding contract, the most qualified contractor was selected at the lowest price. Applus has clearly not accepted the fact that they lost this contract fair and square.”

Applus chief of operations Dave Comeau disagrees.

"This suit is baseless since the information requested was turned over to the state today at 11:30 -- five days before the deadline imposed by the state and three hours
before the state suit was filed," Comeau said in a statement. "The suit is an attempt to deflect attention from a flawed contract award process that overrode the recommendations of the state's own Technical Review Committee."

--- Steve Peoples, projo.com staff writer

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:10 PM | Comment

Hasbro looks to cut 140 jobs in Ireland

Pawtucket toymaker Hasbro Inc. said today it wants to cut one-third of its workforce at a factory in Ireland because of over capacity.

About 140 jobs would be eliminated at the factory in Waterford, Ireland, where Hasbro makes board games and toys for sale in Europe and elsewhere.

European Union laws require companies to propose the job cuts and then negotiate with employees over workplace issues.

Those talks are underway, said Wayne Charness, a Hasbro spokesman. There’s no timetable for completion of those talks.

“Our facility there is too big,” Charness said. “These moves are necessary.”

-- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi

Posted by at 2:11 PM | Comment

Judge formalizes order to copy questionable ballots

Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. this morning issued a formal, written version of his order to the state Board of Elections mandating that ballots that cannot be read by voting machines during election recounts be set aside and photocopied.

The copies could potentially be used in a manual review to see if the voter's intent can be determined.

Fortunato issued his ruling verbally on Tuesday. The Board of Elections requested the written copy today so it can appeal Fortunato's ruling to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

The board indefinitely postponed all eight scheduled recounts after Fortunato’s initial ruling, leaving candidates in 11 communities in limbo.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:52 PM | Comment

Update: Police ID man shot while waiting for PlayStation

PUTNAM, Conn. – The police have identified the 21-year-old Webster, Mass., man who police believe was shot in the upper torso with a shotgun outside the Wal-Mart here early this morning as he waited on line to buy one of the coveted new Sony PlayStation3 game consoles.

Michael Penkala is in stable condition at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., according to the Connecticut State Police. His injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, according to the state police.

He was among 15 to 20 people waiting in line overnight to buy a PlayStation3 game console when they went on sale this morning, state police Lt. J. Paul Vance said.

The police were called shortly after 3:15 a.m. about the shooting at the store on Route 44. They say two armed teenagers, about 17 or 18 years old, confronted the would-be shoppers and demanded money. Penkala apparently confronted the suspects and was shot, Vance said.

The police have made no arrests yet but have some leads – and are talking to the 15 to 20 witnesses of what they’re calling an armed robbery, Vance said. The police don’t actually know if the suspects stole anything, as they have focused on the shooting, Vance said.

Investigators are also seeking help from the community – anyone who might have been in the area, like a bread or milk delivery person, he said.

“Someone may have seen a car,” he said.

The state police are asking potential witnesses to call (860) 779-4900.

The two armed teens, who were dressed all in black, ran into a wooded area and disappeared in this small community in the northeast corner of Connecticut, near the Rhode Island line, Vance said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:47 PM | Comment

Chief Justice Williams defends Conn. judge

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Rhode Island's chief justice defended his counterpart in Connecticut today, claiming a decision to delay the release of a court decision to help a colleague did not violate rules of judicial conduct.

Rhode Island's Chief Justice Frank J. Williams said William Sullivan, former chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, had the power to delay the release of the ruling to help his potential successor.

Justice Peter Zarella, Gov. M. Jodi Rell's nominee for chief justice, was facing legislative confirmation hearings at the time. Rell has since withdrawn his name.

In a taped deposition played at today's Judicial Review Council hearing, Williams said Sullivan can delay a decision "when there's an effort to maintain a level playing field when a colleague is being considered for elevation to chief justice." He said it would be unfair for Zarella to be judged on that one court decision.

But Geoffrey C. Hazard Jr., a legal expert from the Hastings College of Law at the University of California, disputed that argument.

"The playing field, if it had not been interfered with, would have included the decision that was held up," he said.

Friday marked the fourth day of hearings in the Sullivan matter.

Sullivan, 67, was charged in July with violating state law and the judicial code of conduct, which is identical to the Rhode Island code, Williams said.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:50 PM | Comment

PlayStation3 goes for $2,550 on eBay

The new Sony PlayStation3 console is the “it of the day” on eBay, with 8,145 items displayed on the online auction site late this morning.

One being auctioned off this morning from Chicago had a high bid of $2,550 out of 29 bids placed so far -- just minutes before the auction closed.

Others are selling for less, closer to $1,800.

Others looking to buy the latest PlayStation toy have been camping out the last few days and nights at area stores. Some 15 to 20 people waiting outside a Wal-Mart in Putnam, Conn., this morning for the PlayStation3 consoles were targeted by two armed teens, who shot one man who resisted their demands for money.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:24 AM | Comment

Police ID woman killed in Tiverton crash

TIVERTON – The police this morning identified the victim of a fatal car crash on Nannaquaket Road last night that’s still under investigation.

Passenger Elizabeth H. Ahearn, 59, of 2002 Main Rd. in Westport, Mass., was pronounced dead at the scene, Deputy Chief Nicholas Maltais said. He doesn’t know if either she or the male driver was wearing a seatbelt. They were both still in the car after the crash.

Speed was definitely a factor in the crash, Maltais said, although he’s not sure exactly how fast the car was traveling along the straight stretch of rural roadway in the southern part of town.

Maltais declined to identify the driver, other than to say he’s a 46-year-old New York man, saying that the matter is still under investigation. He was transported to Rhode Island Hospital with what appeared to be non life-threatening injuries.

No charges have been filed at this time.

Driving a 1999 Jaquar southbound on Nannaquaket Road at about 9:30 p.m., the man left the travel lane north of Leonard Drive in the area of 299 Nannaquaket Rd., Maltais said. He struck a drainage culvert, went up on the lawn at 299 Nannaquaket Rd., struck a tree and continued traveling south, grazing two ornamental stone walls on the north and south sides of Leonard Drive and continued south, coming to a stop in the southbound lane of travel several hundred feet beyond where he initially left the roadway.

The vehicle sustained major damage, Maltais said.

At the time of the accident, it was windy but not raining, Maltais said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:51 AM | Comment

Traffic: Mount Hope Bridge re-opens after night closing

The Mount Hope Bridge, the connector that takes motorists over Mount Hope Bay from Portsmouth to Bristol, has re-opened after an accident forced crews to close the bridge last night.

Some scaffolding had fallen, prompting the closure announcement around 10:30 p.m. last night, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The DOT’s Transportation Management Center issued a notice at 12:14 a.m. that the bridge had re-opened to traffic in both directions, according to Dave Riley of Turnpike Bridge Authority.

For other traffic needs, check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find any traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:32 AM | Comment

URI cagers lose to Troy while you were sleeping

The URI men’s basketball team fell to Troy University (Alabama) 84-78 this morning in their opening round game of the 2006 BP Top of the World Basketball Classic.

This morning? That’s right.

The Rams took the floor at 12:30 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time) at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks, Alaska, and the game ended well after 2 a.m.

The Rams (1-2) will move to the consolation bracket and look to get back on track Saturday night – really Saturday night – when they play tournament host Alaska-Fairbanks. The 4-2 Nanooks dropped their opening game to Weber State, 71-66, in overtime.

Hopefully, URI Coach Jim Baron hasn’t scheduled a morning practice. At 6 a.m. (2 a.m. in Fairbanks) it was a balmy minus 18 degrees Fahrenheit. The Rhody players and their fans can expect a high today of minus 8 degrees and a sunrise at 9:30 a.m.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:30 AM | Comment

Download today's Journal front page

Stories of the Ocean State's exploding tick population and the Attorney General's refusal to release evidence gathered in The Station fire investigation lead today's Providence Journal.

Download the page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:14 AM | Comment

Rain going away, gales continue on the water

PROVIDENCE – A gale warning for coastal waters in the region remains in effect from the National Weather Service until 9 a.m. today.

Also, the Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for the region.

Southwest winds are expected to be 20 to 25 knots, with gusts up to 35 knots. They’re expected to decrease as the morning progresses, down to 15 to 20 knots, with gusts up to 25 knots in late morning.

Seas should be 9 to 13 feet.

As for temps, we should see a high of 63 today and a low of 42 tonight, with this morning’s rain potentially clearing by 9 a.m. or so.

Tomorrow will be cooler, with a high near 52, but it doesn’t look as if we’ll have rain. Despite predictions earlier this week of no rain this weekend, we may now get some showers Sunday morning before 9. The high that day should be 47.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:06 AM | Comment

November 16, 2006

Fake doctor ordered to pay back $1.4 million

PROVIDENCE -- An Exeter man convicted in May of pretending to be a doctor has been ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution to 338 former clients he victimized.

U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi had already sentenced John E. Curran, 41, to more than 10 years in prison. Today, in the second part of the sentencing, Lisi ordered Curran to repay the money he took from people who thought they were being helped.

According to evidence presented at the trial, Curran wore a lab coat with "M.D." after his name as he looked at people's blood under a microscope, and told them they had parasites, immune-system failure or even cancer. He told dying people that he could make them better and healthy people that they were in danger of dying.

As treatment, he sold them "E-water," which he said had healing powers similar to the waters at Lourdes, and "Green Drink," a powdered vegetable mix that he said helped the body fight disease. He also had an array of machines in his office that patients could use for $10,000; they included a hyperbaric chamber, an "ionizing footbath," and devices that applied heat, water, oxygen, massage or infrared lights.

In two years, Curran's patients bought $1.4 million in treatments, federal investigators showed.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:25 PM | Comment

Swansea teen killed in morning crash

SEEKONK -- A 17-year-old Swansea resident and student at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School was killed Thursday morning on Route 6 after her car suddenly swerved across the highway and struck a telephone pole.

Angela T. Durfee, of 28 Rangley St., Swansea, was declared dead at the scene of the accident, which occured around 7:17 a.m. just west of Seekonk Speedway in front of Supreme Coffee & Donuts.

The police said she was not wearing a seatbelt.

One witness reported that Durfee's car suddenly swerved from inside the eastbound land, cross over the center line, and struck the telephone pole along the highway, also known as Fall River Avenue.

State police are still investigating the tragedy to see if the can learn why Durfee suddenly lurched to the side.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:37 PM | Comment

Update: House leadership vote splits Democrats, including R.I.'s

WASHINGTON -- A contentious leadership vote in the House of Representatives today divided House Democrats and Rhode Island's congressional delegation while dealing Nancy Pelosi a political defeat just hours after she was selected to be the first female Speaker of the House.

House Democrats soundly rejected Pelosi's candidate, Pennsylvania Rep. John P. Murtha, voting 149 to 86 for Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer as the House majority leader.

Rhode Island's two Democratic congressmen split on the vote. U.S. Rep. James Langevin voted with the majority for Hoyer, while U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy voted for Murtha.

Langevin said his party was united, despite the contentious vote.

"I think today was a minor challenge or a kind of a fight within the family," Langevin said this afternoon. "But at the end of the day, it’s a minor bump in the road and in the longterm we come out of this caucus united and stronger than ever."

Kennedy also largely dismissed news of today's rift as a "diversion" for "political junkies." He said that Rhode Island is better positioned politically because of his vote for Pelosi's candidate, despite the loss.

"This [vote] is also something that she appreciated," Kennedy said this afternoon.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Like other House Democrats, Langevin acknowledged behind-the-scenes political maneuvering before the vote and said he received repeated requests from Murtha and his supporters for his vote.

But Langevin was attracted by Hoyer's "overall record" and a personal connection that dates back to Langevin's first run for federal office.

Hoyer, who co-sponsored the Americans with Disabilities Act, reached out to Langevin, a quadriplegic, during the 2000 Democratic primary, during which Hoyer donated to Langevin's campaign and invited him to Washington to meet "some key leaders."

"It's unusal for a sitting member of Congress, especially someone with his seniority, to get involved in a primary," Langevin said of Hoyer. "He was there early [for my campaign] and an eager supporter. I’ve had a personal loyalty and deep respect for him."

Kennedy said this afternoon that his vote for Pelosi's candidate positioned him well for the coming session in which Democrats will have the House majority for the first time in more than a decade.

"[Murtha] now goes back to being chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee...and Rhode Island gets over 900 million (dollars) in direct defense payroll every year," Kennedy said. "We have an enormous stake in having a good relationship with the chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee."

And Kennedy's vote also puts him in the good grace of Pelosi, who may have lost a political battle today, but will be the most powerful member of the House of Representatives in the new Congress.

"She’s still the speaker. So essentially she’s still got her hands on all the levers of power in the Congress," Kennedy said. "It was a two-fer. I get a big bonus because Jack’s the chairman of defense appropriations subcommittee, which is vital to my district, and once again I’m voting in favor of Nancy Pelosi. I’m happy where I am and where I’ve positioned myself and Rhode Island’s First District."

But like Langevin, Kennedy dismissed the significance of today's rift among Democrats so soon after the historic election that gave them majorities in the House and the Senate.

"I think clearly what matters most to people is what we as a party produce when we get to work,” Kennedy said. "This is political junkies' excitement and diversion. But it really doesn’t constitute anything in the way of a meaningful difference in people's everyday lives."

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:28 PM | Comment

National Grid proposes 6.6% drop in electricity rates

National Grid has proposed lowering electricity rates by about 6.6 percent, which would trim the bill of a typical residential customer by about $5.11 a month.

In a filing submitted this afternoon to the state Public Utilities Commission, National Grid said that declining natural gas and crude oil prices have lowered its projected costs of buying electricity for its customers next year.

The company proposed the lower rates become effective on Jan. 1, 2007.

A typical customer, which National Grid defines as one who uses 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month, would pay $72.71 a month under the proposal, a savings of $5.11 over the current charge of $77.82.

In September, National Grid decreased rates by 3.9 percent, which lowered the bill of a typical customer by about $3.12 a month.

Posted by Tim Barmann at 4:21 PM | Comment

Photo: Serious wait for PlayStation3

Journal photo / Bob Thayer
Jennifer Hogan, far right, of East Providence and dozens of others line up outside Best Buy in Seekonk, Mass., today in hopes of snagging the latest Sony PlayStation -- PlayStation3 -- which they said will go on sale here tomorrow morning at 7. Hogan, who was fourth in line, said she arrived at about 7:45 a.m. to get a spot. There was a line yesterday until about 11 p.m., when customers were asked by authorities to leave and come back in the morning. They did, even though they lost their places. All were good-natured about the wait, seeing it as a time to make new friends or get some reading done.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 4:03 PM | Comment

Judge rejects AG's request for guidance on Station release

A Superior Court judge this morning rejected a petition from the attorney general that sought guidance on what material gathered as part of The Station nightclub fire investigation must be made public.

Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson said that Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's petition does not follow the procedure laid out in state law regarding access to public records, according to Kristin E. Rodgers, a lawyer representing The Providence Journal. Last month, The Journal filed a public records request for The Station fire evidence.

State law requires public agencies, upon request, to either give out public records or cite a legal exemption before a certain deadline. If the requester is unhappy with the response, the requester can file a lawsuit.

In this case, Lynch filed a suit before the deadline, which is today, expired. The suit asked for a deadline extension and for guidance on what material in The Station case should be kept secret because of privacy considerations.

Lynch is expected to provide The Journal with a formal response to its request by the end of the day today.

Posted by Paul Parker at 2:55 PM | Comment

New trial denied for former boys club director

PROVIDENCE – The former employee who accused Gerald R. Lynch of sexually assaulting him testified “forthrightly and did so in the court’s opinion in a credible fashion,” the judge in the Lynch case said this morning.

The testimony provided enough evidence to support the guilty verdict that the jury returned last month, Judge Edward C. Clifton said.

As a result, the judged today denied a motion for a new trial for Lynch, a well-known political figure who until last spring was director of the East Providence Boys & Girls Club. The ruling, which Clifton made from the bench in Superior Court, set the stage for Lynch’s sentencing.

-- Journal staff writer John Castellucci

The former East Providence City Councilman faces a term of 10 years to life in prison when he returns to court for sentencing on Feb. 19.

Lynch, 62, of 23 Morra Way, Rumford, was found guilty of four counts of first-degree sexual assault, all of them stemming from the oral sex that occurred when he owned a flower shop in Pawtucket and the victim, now a man about 37, worked there as a young teenager.

During a 40-minute hearing before Clifton this morning, defense lawyer Lise J. Gescheidt argued that the victim’s testimony wasn’t credible and that he didn’t offer the evidence of force necessary to support a conviction for sexual assault.

Special Assistant Attorney General Maureen Keough disputed that. “There is evidence of force, and I would suggest that evidence is credible and would support the verdict,” she said.

Clifton agreed, saying the witness’s credibility had withstood days of “excruciating cross-examination.”

Clifton said he was satisfied that, “from the evidence introduced, and the reasonable inference from that evidence, and the weight of that evidence,” that he would have reached a verdict similar to the one returned by the jury.

-- Journal staff writer John Castellucci

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:54 PM | Comment

It's that time again -- Providence skating rink to open

PROVIDENCE -- It's that time again.

Thanksgiving is a week away. Most of the trees are bare. The Christmas commercials are back on TV. And mayor's office announced today that the Providence skating rink is about to open.

The Bank of America skating center in Providence's Kennedy Plaza will open for the first time this winter season next Tuesday at 4 p.m.

The 14,000 sq. ft. facility, which the mayor's office notes "is twice the size of Rockefeller Plaza’s ice rink in New York City," allows Providence residents to skate for free on the first Saturday of each month.

“The Bank of America City Center offers the perfect way to spend a winter day or evening for our residents and visitors alike,” Mayor David N. Cicilline said in a statement. “Last year more than 60,000 skaters experienced the thrill of gliding across the ice and this year promises to be just as exciting.”

General admission is $6 and $3 for seniors and children (under 12). Skate rental is $4. The rink is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.

It's even open on Thanksgiving Day from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:24 PM | Comment

Update: Jury convicts trash collector in Cape slaying

AP File Photo / Steve Heaslip, Cape Cod Times
Christopher McCowen, shown being led out of Barnstable Superior Court last Thursday, was convicted today of murdering fashion writer Christa Worthington on Cape Cod.

BARNSTABLE, Mass. -- A former trash collector was convicted today in the rape and murder of a fashion writer who was found lying in a pool of blood in her Cape Cod home with her 2-year-old daughter clinging to her body.

Christopher McCowen, 34, was found guilty of first-degree murder, rape and burglary in the January 2002 killing of Christa Worthington, 46, by a jury that deadlocked after five days and was forced to start deliberations anew Tuesday after one member was replaced.

McCowen, who was Worthington's garbage man, initially denied having any physical contact with her. But after police told him his DNA was found on her body, McCowen said he had consensual sex with her and beat her, but that his friend had plunged the knife through her chest.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:13 PM | Comment

Guilty verdict in Cape Cod murder trial

A jury has convicted Christopher McCowen of first-degree murder for the 2002 death of fashion writer Christa Worthington on Cape Cod.

McCowen, who worked as Worthington's garbage man, cried as the guilty verdict was read at about noon.

Worthington, 46, was found lying in a pool of blood in her Truro home, dead from a single stab wound to her chest, with her 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Ava, clinging to her body.

McCowen initially denied having any physical contact with her. But after police showed him a DNA report linking him to the crime scene, he told eight different versions of the events leading up to Worthington's death, according to a state police trooper who testified during the trial.

McCowen said he had consensual sex with Worthington and beat her during an argument, but claimed his friend, Jeremy Frazier, stabbed and killed her. Frazier was never charged.

-- With reports from The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:04 PM | Comment

Michael Derderian is not now eligible for work release

After being removed from his job by state officials, nightclub co-owner Michael Derderian is not now eligible for work-release from the Adult Correctional Institutions.

He'll remain in prison during the day as long as an internal investigation into “security concerns” continues. The state won't say what the investigation involves.

Whether he will continue with the prison’s work-release program at all is in question at this time and will be part of the determination by the ACI’s internal investigation unit, which comprises state Department of Corrections staff, ACI spokeswoman Tracey Poole said this morning. Poole said the department doesn’t know how long the investigation will take.

On Friday, the Department of Corrections “removed” Derderian “from the work site” where he had been employed for three weeks, Poole said today, citing “security concerns.”

“There were some security concerns that were brought to our attention and, therefore, an investigation is being conducted,” Poole said this morning. “I can’t compromise the investigation by telling what the security concerns were.”

The State Police were involved, Poole said, and “have determined that no criminal charges will be pursued.” She would not say who the police investigated. A call to the state police has not immediately been returned.

Derderian began his work-release job at a Warwick auto-body shop on Oct. 23 after he was sentenced in September to serve four years in the ACI’s minimum-security work-release program.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

He and his brother, Jeffrey Derderian, pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter charges related to the 100 deaths from the 2003 fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick.

Jeffrey Derderian received a 10-year suspended sentence, with 500 hours of “appropriate” community service and three years of probation.

Michael Derderian was hired to do “office-type work” and “some light bookkeeping” for a longtime friend, James Buckley Jr., at his Allendale Auto Body and Sales, 2058 Elmwood Ave. in Warwick.

He is back in a minimum-security facility at the ACI this week, Poole said.

A man who answered the phone at Allendale Auto Body said Buckley was not available, and he declined comment on Derderian or his work status at the shop.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:44 AM | Comment

Police find 10 stolen Harleys in storage units

CENTRAL FALLS -- The Pawucket police announced today the discovery of 10 stolen Harley-Davidson motorcycles in a Central Falls storage facility.

Local police began investigating a rash of motocycle thefts last week -- at least five of the bikes were reported stolen in recent weeks, according to Pawtucket police. Most recently, a Harley was stolen from the parking lot of the Hose Company No. 6 restaurant on Central Avenue in Pawtucket last Friday.

The police investigation led them to a Pawtucket man who rents storage units at the Storage America facility in Central Falls. Police searched the units yesterday and discovered 10 Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

All of them had been reported stolen -- four in Pawtucket and the other six from Providence, Woonsocket and Attleboro, according to the police.

Police have not released the suspect's name, or the charges he faces.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:30 AM | Comment

Feds to fine dog club, president for killing protected birds

A beagle club in Warwick will be fined $20,000 for killing turkey vultures, great horned owls, red-tailed hawks and other migratory birds protected by international treaties.

The Little Rhody Beagle Club, Inc., on Cowesett Road and its president, William Forward, apparently were trying to protect the many rabbits kept on the property for training the beagles.

Club officials used traps and poisons to fend off predatory birds like hawks and owls. And other protected species like mourning doves died after eating poisoned bait and even the carcasses of the poisoned predatory birds.

The U.S. attorney's office announced today that it has charged Forward and the club with killing the birds with firearms, steel leghold traps and an insecticide.

The bird killings violate the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, according to U.S. Attorney Robert Corrente’s office.

Forward and the club have agreed to plead guilty to six misdemeanor charges, according to Corrente. They have signed agreements that will require them to pay $20,000 in fines, the maximum prescribed by the statutes they have allegedly violated, said Thomas Connell, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The agreements have not yet been accepted in court.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:57 AM | Comment

Wal-Mart extends $4 prescription deal to R.I., Mass.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart has expanded the rollout of its $4 offer on some generic drug prescriptions, adding eleven new states -- including Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The move adds more than 500 Wal-Mart stores offering the discounted medications -- and eight right here in Rhode Island, the company announced today. It also adds more than 17 prescriptions to the offering, bringing the total to 331.

The $4 price buys up to a 30-day supply of the drugs.

Thirty-eight states are now covered by the generic drug program, which the company launched in Florida in September, and Wal-Mart has said it expects to make it nationwide by around January. Other states added to the program today are Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Washington and West Virginia.

The company says the move is aimed at saving working Americans money on health care. But critics say it's a stunt to draw in business and a grab for a bigger share of the drug business. The discounted prescription drugs are available in 3,009 Wal-Mart pharmacies.

As reported in today’s Journal, the Woonsocket-based CVS Corp. said Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s introduction of $4 prescriptions for generic drugs isn’t having much effect on its sales.

“It doesn’t seem to be greatly hurtful,” CVS chief financial officer David Rickard said yesterday at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference in New York.

Investors and analysts are concerned that Wal-Mart’s moves will hurt chains such as CVS and Walgreen Co., the biggest U.S. drugstore company, putting pressure on profit margins.

-- The Associated Press and Journal reports

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:49 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

An exhumed body, the airline merger and Iraq are our top stories today.
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Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:17 AM | Comment

Weather: Fog now, heavy rain, wind tonight

The National Weather Service has issued a dense fog warning for the region until 9 a.m. and says there's a chance of rain, mainly after noon, and then heavy rain and wind tonight.

The high temperature is expected to reach 65 degrees -- some 20 to 30 degrees above normal -- and humidity is already 94 percent, as a moist air mass has descended on the region.

The weather service issues such advisories when visibility is expected to drop to one-quarter of a mile or less for at least three hours. It's urging drivers to be cautious.

A cold front will push out the warm air tonight, and the transition should bring gusty winds and rain, with potential thunderstorms mainly after midnight. One to three inches of rain and flooding is possible, the weather service says.

It has issued a flood watch for much of southern New England, except for southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, for late tonight and tomorrow.

Check out the weather service's dense fog advisory, special weather statement, hazardous weather outlook and flood watch.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:15 AM | Comment

Traffic: Heavy fog limits visibility

Drivers might want to leave early and take it slow this morning because dense fog has settled over the region and limited visibility.

The National Weather Service has issued a dense fog advisory until 9 a.m. for parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. The weather service issues such advisories when visibility is expected to drop to one-quarter of a mile or less for at least three hours.

"Motorists are advised to slow down as objects on and near roadways will be seen only at close range," the weather services says.

Shortly before 6:30 a.m., traffic had already backed up slightly on Route 195 West in Providence.

You can find traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

November 15, 2006

Update: Man escapes Coventry fire with neighbor's help

COVENTRY -- A man narrowly escaped a blaze on Forestdale Drive this afternoon that destroyed a single-family home.

"Everyone’s OK, that’s the main thing," said Bob St. Jean, who lives across the street. "It's only wood [that burned]."

St. Jean was returning home after picking up some groceries when he noticed smoke and flames shooting out of his neighbor's home.

St. Jean saw the occupant, a disabled man in his early 40s, moving around the burning house trying to extinguish the blaze, even as flames as high as 10 or 15 feet shot out of the windows.

St. Jean said he ran over to the fire and helped his neighbor, who limps, get out of the house.

"He wanted to go back again. I brought him to the corner of the property," St. Jean said.

His neighbor said that he was on the computer when an apparent electrical fire erupted, according to St. Jean.

St. Jean said that he didn't think twice about helping his neighbor.

"You don’t have time to be afraid," he said. "You do what you got to do."

The fire department had extinguished the blaze by about 1:30 p.m. Fire officials have not yet released the address, though it is opposite 35 Forestdale Drive.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:15 PM | Comment

T.F. Green considers impact of proposed US Airways, Delta merger

An official at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick said it is too early to know what the impact might be from a proposed merger of US Airways and Delta Air Lines.

"They don't overlap in the service they offer from Green so should this happen, initially, we don't expect there would be a reduction in service," Patti Goldstein, vice president of public affairs and air service marketing, said this afternoon.

US Airways is the second-leading carrier among the seven major airlines serving Green; Delta ranks fourth.

US Airways this morning announced an $8 billion bid to buy Delta out of bankruptcy and said it would be looking to cut total flights about 10 percent.

Read an Associated Press story on the US Airways bid.

Posted by at 2:35 PM | Comment

Fire crews rush to Coventry blaze

COVENTRY -- Several crews have rushed to a house fire on Forestdale Drive, off Route 3, in Coventry this afternoon, a fire department dispatcher confirmed.

There is a report of an injury, the dispatcher said, though he didn't know how serious it was or who was hurt. The home on fire is opposite 35 Forestdale Drive, the dispatcher said.

Further details are unavailable.

More details to come on projo.com...

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:07 PM | Comment

Update: Charges against driver unlikely in Route 6 fatal

No charges have been filed against the driver who struck the 15-year-old girl and killed her last night on Route 6 in Rehoboth, and it doesn’t appear as if any will be.

“Based on the information currently available to investigators, it does not appear that criminal charges will be forthcoming against the vehicle operator,” the Rehoboth Police Department said in a statement issued late this morning.

Sabrina Dawn Coutu was struck around 6:15 p.m. as she tried to cross the busy four-lane highway, according to the police. Late this morning, the police and Sabrina’s father, Albert W. Coutu Jr. of Burrillville, confirmed her identity.

Sabrina lived in North Providence and was a sophomore at the William J. Davies Vocational and Technical School in Lincoln. She was also the daughter of Janet Roxanne Koziol of North Providence.

Sabrina was attempting to cross Route 6 with 26-year-old Richard E. Scarano, of Taunton, Mass., according to a news release issued around 11:30 a.m. today by the Rehoboth Police Department.

She was struck in front of Speedway Liquors by a 1995 Mercury Sable driven by Jean E. Ramella, of East Providence, who was traveling east on the road, according to the police statement.

The accident remains under investigation.

Sabrina was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m., according to an earlier statement issued by Rehoboth Police Lt. James Trombetta.

The Massachusetts State Police sent its collision analysis and reconstruction team to the scene, according to state police Lt. Eric Anderson. Results from that investigation will take some time, Anderson said this morning.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson, with reports from Journal Staff Writer Alisha Pina

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:42 PM | Comment

Police: Driver flees with plates after crashing into house

CRANSTON -- The police say they have located a Cranston man who crashed his pickup truck into a house last night and ran away after removing the truck's license plates.

The police might not have found him if he hadn't left something in the glove compartment: his insurance information and registration.

Maj. Ronald T. Blackmar said today that Daniel McElroy, of Waterman Avenue, Cranston, may be issued a ticket for leaving the scene of an accident, a traffic violation.

McElroy crashed into a house at 250 Auburn St. with his 1986 Ford pickup truck at about 10:15 p.m., Blackmar said. Witnesses saw him remove the truck's license plates and run away, according to Blackmar.

The police later found McElroy at his home after reading the address listed on the vehicle registration.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:24 PM | Comment

Update: 'Drowning' victim died from bullet wound

The state medical examiner’s office announced this morning that a former Cranston man was murdered in 1964 and did not drown himself, as the office initially ruled after the man’s body was found in Narragansett Bay decades ago.

Louis James DeFusco was 38 years old when he disappeared on Aug. 6, 1964, according to a statement issued this morning by Chief Medical Examiner Thomas Gilson.

His body was recovered 12 days later, floating in the bay with a ship’s anchor tied around his legs.

The unusual change in the cause-of-death ruling came after DeFusco’s family contacted the medical examiner’s office in May of this year, with lingering concerns about the circumstances of the man’s death, according to the medical examiner’s statement.

The family, which was planning to move DeFusco’s body to an alternate family burial plot, asked the medical examiner’s office to conduct a second autopsy.

DeFusco, the former owner of the Folly Landing Marina in Warwick, had last been seen pulling away from the dock at that marina on Aug. 6, according to an article in The Evening Bulletin that ran Nov. 13, 1964. At that time, chief medical examiner Dr. Harold L. Beddoe had ruled his death a suicide.

“No fact or foundation has been discovered for the rumors and gossip that the decedent was killed for reasons relating to his private life, business connections, alleged gambling debts, or during the course of a robbery,” the medical examiner reported at the time, according to the Bulletin, then the afternoon paper of The Providence Journal Company.

This summer, the medical examioner's office conducted the second autopsy and discovered a previously overlooked gunshot wound to the back of DeFusco’s head.

The second autopsy now interprets the man’s cause of death as homicide by gunshot wound, with perforation of the spine.

The original autopsy in 1964 identified a bullet wound in the man’s mouth, but failed to observe the gunshot wound at the back of his head. The autopsy only documented nonlethal injuries to his teeth.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:04 PM | Comment

Police ID elderly Cranston woman who died in fire

CRANSTON -- The police have identified an 85-year-old woman who died yesterday during a small kitchen fire in her home.

Anna Salimeno, 85, of 26 Blue Jay Drive, died yesterday, the apparent victim of a kitchen fire that had burned itself out without spreading to the rest of the building.

Asst. Fire Chief James Gumbley said that the incident was being investigated by the state fire marshal’s office, the Cranston Fire Department and the Cranston police.

Read the full story in today's Journal.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 11:36 AM | Comment

Update: Teen killed in Rehoboth was from N. Providence

The 15-year-old girl struck and killed last night on Route 6 in Rehoboth lived in North Providence and was a sophomore at the William J. Davies Vocational and Technical School in Lincoln.

Sabrina Dawn Coutu was struck around 6:15 p.m. as she tried to cross the busy four-lane highway, according to the police. The police have not released her name to the press, but Sabrina's identity was confirmed this morning through her father, Albert W. Coutu Jr. of Burrillville.

Sabrina was also the daughter of Janet Roxanne Koziol of North Providence.

Sabrina and another person not identified by police were crossing the road in front of Speedway Liquors when she was struck by a vehicle traveling east, according to a statement from Rehoboth Police Lt. James Trombetta.

She was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m., according to the statement.

The Massachusetts State Police sent its collision analysis and reconstruction team to the scene, according to state police Lt. Eric Anderson. Results from that investigation will take some time, Anderson said this morning.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:36 AM | Comment

Japanese pitcher ''relieved'' his rights were awarded to Red Sox

Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Japanese pitcher whose negotiating rights were awarded to the Red Sox after Boston submitted a $51.1 million bid to his team in the Japanese League, says he is ''relieved'' the Sox won the bidding and is looking forward to seeing Boston. He added that he's aware the Red Sox ''are a team that has a long history, great fans and a great atmosphere.”

Read the entire story on projo.com's Red Sox blog.

-- Art Martone

Posted by Art at 10:14 AM | Comment

$8 billion deal would strengthen U.S. Airways at Green

The bid by U.S. Airways to buy Delta could reshuffle the lineup at Green State Airport and strengthen the airport's number two carrier.

Based on September's traffic, the $8 billion deal would boost U.S. Airways traffic to about 100,000 passengers a month. Southwest, Green's number one airline, had 189,737 passengers in September.

Just one year ago, Delta was a powerhouse at Green with 46,008 passengers in September of 2005. In bankruptcy, that number fell to 18,432 this past September.

Read the story.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 9:01 AM | Comment

Cranston stabbing suspect, alleged victim still hospitalized

The man accused of robbing and stabbing a Cranston resident late Saturday night and stabbing another man before he was shot and apprehended by the police remains in serious condition this morning at Rhode Island Hospital.

Joseph Erice, 25, of 37 Gude St., Seekonk, has not yet been arraigned, Cranston Police Maj. Ronald T. Blackmar said this morning.

Providence resident Brian Houle, one of the two men Erice allegedly stabbed, is also in serious condition at Rhode Island Hospital, spokeswoman Nancy Cawley said this morning.

The police have said Erice stabbed Houle, 23, sometime after he broke into a home on Mohawk Trail and robbed and stabbed the 65-year-old resident, Abraham Boyrazian, who was treated and released from Rhode Island Hospital on Sunday.

The police have said they plan to arraign Erice after he is treated for his injuries. They plan to charge him with one felony count for assaulting Boyrazian; one felony count for assaulting Houle; and one felony count for assaulting a police officer. They also plan to file charges related to the alleged burglary and a break-in at another house in the area Saturday night.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:51 AM | Comment

Teen struck and killed on Route 6, Rehoboth

A 15-year-old girl was struck and killed last night in Rehoboth while she was trying to cross the busy four-lane Route 6, and the police today continue to investigate.

The police have not yet identified the girl, who was struck around 6:15 p.m. by a vehicle traveling east. She was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m., according to a statement issued by Rehoboth Police Lt. James Trombetta.

The girl and another person not identified by police were crossing the road in front of Speedway Liquors, Trombetta said.

The Massachusetts State Police sent its collision analysis and reconstruction team to the scene, according to state police Lt. Eric Anderson. Results from that investigation will take some time, Anderson said this morning.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:32 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

Today's top stories are: duplicate voters, recounts and the kidnapping in Iraq.

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Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:14 AM | Comment

A respite from the rain

PROVIDENCE – For the moment, we’ve got a respite from this week’s rainy weather.

It looks like a nice crisp fall day.

There is a slight chance of rain – and we’ll have patchy fog before 9 a.m. Aside from that, we’ll have a high near 61. Could we ask for anything better in the middle of November?

Tomorrow, it’s back to more rain on the horizon – a 40 percent chance of showers tomorrow and an 80 percent of heavy rain on Friday. Saturday and Sunday look like pleasant, sunny Fall days.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 AM | Comment

November 14, 2006

Providence Equity Partners to sell BlueStone TV

Providence Equity Partners has agreed to sell BlueStone TV Holdings Inc., a company that owns or operates 14 television stations in eight U.S. markets.

Diamond Castle Holdings LLC will buy the BlueStone stations for $230 million, Diamond Castle chief executive Randall Bongarten confirmed today in an e-mail. The stations are expected to generate more than $50 million in revenue this year, Bongarten said.

New York-based Diamond Castle was formed two years ago and primarily invests in the media, energy, health-care and financial-services industries.

The Providence group, which specializes in media investments, formed BlueStone in 2002 to acquire television stations. Most BlueStone stations are in Tennessee and Virginia markets.

The BlueStone transaction is expected to close in the first half, Diamond Castle said, and must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission.

Providence Equity Partners is a Providence-based buyout firm with $9 billion in assets.

-- Bloomberg

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:11 PM | Comment

Buffy Sainte-Marie's turn to take the stage at URI

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The folk singing continues on the University of Rhode Island campus tonight.

Native American musicians Buffy Sainte-Marie and Bill Miller, both entertainers and social activists since the 1960s, will appear at URI's Edwards Auditorium tonight.

The university's Honors Colloquium, "Songs of Social Justice," has featured performers and activists nearly every Tuesday night this semester. Previous acts include Tom Paxton, Peggy Seeger, Rosalie Sorrels, and Ronnie Gilbert.

Tonight's show begins at 7:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:01 PM | Comment

Cranston woman, 85, apparent victim of kitchen fire

CRANSTON — An 85-year-old woman was found dead in her Blue Jay Drive home today, the apparent victim of a kitchen fire that burned itself out without spreading to the rest of the home, according to fire officials.

Assistant Fire Chief James Gumbley said that the incident is being investigated by the state Fire Marshal’s Office, the Cranston Fire Department and Cranston Police. He said that once relatives are notified, officials will release the name of the woman found in the kitchen of the raised ranch house at 26 Blue Jay Drive.

Gumbley said that there were no exterior signs of a fire, and that firefighters were called to the house shortly after 8 by a relative who wanted them to conduct a “well being” check on the woman who lived there since she had not been heard from in more than a day.

Once inside, firefighters found the woman in the kitchen, scorched from what appeared to be a contained blaze, he said. Gumbley said that sometimes interior fires will extinguish themselves after they consume all available oxygen.

-- Journal staff writer Barbara Polichetti

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:57 PM | Comment

Update: Judge rules on Cranston ballots

Superior Court Judge Stephen Fortunato ruled this afternoon that the state Board of Elections must photocopy and set aside the copy of any ballot rejected by voting machines during Thursday's scheduled recount in the Cranston mayoral election.

The decision came over the strong objection of the Board of Elections, which is poised to recount the 32,140 ballots cast in the general election. Approximately 500 ballots were rejected last Tuesday.

The Board of Elections will appeal Fortunato's decision to the state Supreme Court, the board's lawyer, Raymond A. Marcaccio, said.

Lawyers for Republican candidate Allan W. Fung, who trails Democrat Michael T. Napolitano by 71 votes, had argued that it may be possible to determine the voter’s intent on ballots rejected by voting machines.

“The paper ballots are the way to verify that the machines are working properly,” said Fung’s campaign lawyer, Angel Taveras. “That’s why we have paper ballots.”

The Board of Elections and Napolitano’s lawyers criticized the ruling, arguing that segregating those ballots would dramatically slow the recount and introduce a review process that does not exist in Board of Elections policy. That human review would compromise the objectivity of the election, they argued.

“You are throwing the objective electronic system down the tubes,” Marcaccio said.

Fortunato’s decision has implications for the entire state, the Board of Elections said. If Fung’s campaign is able to view rejected ballots, then every candidate would have that right, the board argued in court today.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Fortunato issued his ruling today after a lengthy session in chambers with lawyers for both sides and brief oral arguments in open court.

The judge did not definitively rule that Fung’s campaign can view the photocopied ballots. He is scheduled to take up that issue on Nov. 29.

“The complaint raises complex and important issues,” Fortunato said. “It goes to the heart of our democracy.”

Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:08 PM | Comment

Teen jailed after shooting boy in neck with BB gun

WOONSOCKET - A teenage boy was ordered held at the Training School today following an incident Sunday in which he shot a 12-year-old in the neck with a BB gun.

The shooter, who has not been identified because he is 16 years old, faces a felony assault charge as well as several gun-related charges.

At the teenager's Family Court arraignment yesterday, his probation officer told the court that the boy has a prior arrest record and requested that he be held at the Training School until Dec. 1, when he will return to court for a probable cause hearing.

The police say the 16-year-old and a 14-year-old friend shot the younger boy with the pellet gun while he was walking down Rockridge Drive on Sunday afternoon.

The victim suffered minor injuries, including a red welt on the back of his neck. He was transported to Landmark Medical Center where he was treated and released. He identified his attackers to the police.

The 14-year-old friend was charged with possession of a firearm by a minor and conspiracy. His arraignment information was not available today.

-- Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:01 PM | Comment

Sen. Reed gains power in D.C. committees

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jack Reed was assigned today to the Senate Appropriations Committee, winning a seat at the table where money is distributed for many government programs.

Reed also kept his high-profile seat on the Armed Services Committee, plus his slots on the panels with jurisdiction over health care and banking.

Taken together, Reed's gains boost his ability to bring federal dollars home to Rhode Island and consolidate his influence across a broad range of issues, all at a time when he is viewed as one of the new Democratic majority's leading voices on military issues.

"This is a great time to be Jack Reed,'' said congressional analyst Norman Ornstein. " Jack has become as much of an opinion-leader and a bridge-builder on Iraq as any other Democrat.''

Senator-elect Sheldon Whitehouse was assigned to the committee on Environment and Public Works, and the Judiciary, Intelligence and Budget Committees, according to the office of incoming Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. He was also assigned to the Special Committee on Aging.

The Judiciary Committee reviews nominations to the federal bench including the U.S. Supreme Court. The Budget Committee each year draws a broad blueprint for federal spending that guides other committees in writing budgets for the agencies under their control.

The outgoing Sen. Lincoln Chafee served on Environment and Public Works, Foreign Relations and Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committees.

House leaders will make committee assignments later in the week.

-- Journal staff writer John Mulligan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:26 PM | Comment

Police probe death of man in Jamestown home / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Employees of the state medical examiner's office removed a body from a home at 96 Reservoir Circle in Jamestown today.

JAMESTOWN -- State and local police are investigating the death of an elderly man found this morning in a Jamestown home.

Someone called local police today at about 9:15 to ask authorities to check on the man's well-being, according to Police Chief Thomas Tighe. The man's body was soon discovered.

While there were more than six police cars on the scene today, the authorities would not release the man's name or say whether they suspected foul play. State and local police officials said they were waiting for the state medical examiner to rule on the cause of death.

The home, located at 96 Reservoir Circle, is owned by Daniel Donahue, according to property tax records. A neighbor said that Donahue is a retired Cranston teacher.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Randal Edgar

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:24 PM | Comment

Elections board indefinitely postpones all recounts

PROVIDENCE -- The state Board of Elections has indefinitely postponed all recounts, after a Superior Court judge said today that candidates may have the right to review all ballots rejected by voting machines during a recount.

Today's decision postpones eight recounts of ballots cast in elections last Tuesday, according to Kerry Brusini, special projects manager for the Board of Elections.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:38 PM | Comment

Man get 15 years after trading crack for guns in Westerly

WESTERLY – A Connecticut man was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for trading crack cocaine for guns outside a Westerly restaurant last year.

The man, Richard Vanenburg, 36, of New London, had pled guilty in January to three charges of distributing crack cocaine, being a felon in possession of firearms and using firearms in connection with a drug-trafficking crime.

Due to prior drug-trafficking convictions in Connecticut, Vanenburg faced a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for the crack cocaine offense. Using a gun during a drug-trafficking crime carries an additional five-year sentence.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Westerly Police and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms arrested Vanenburg on May 25, 2005, after a brief investigation and charged him with negotiating with an undercover ATF agent to trade crack cocaine for two handguns.

The undercover agent, with other ATF agents and Westerly police standing by, met with Vanenburg at a restaurant on Post Road in Westerly. Outside the restaurant, the agent showed Vanenburg two handguns in the trunk of the agent’s car. Vanenburg took the guns – a 9 mm pistol and a .380-caliber pistol – and gave the agent a package containing approximately five grams of crack cocaine.

At that point, ATF agents and Westerly police arrested Vanenburg. He had two prior drug trafficking convictions in Connecticut.

U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi imposed today's sentence.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:24 PM | Comment

Westerly school board head, lawyer hit by car

WESTERLY – The head of the Westerly School Committee remains hospitalized today, a day after she and the committee solicitor were hit by a car while crossing the street.

Police have charged a Hopkinton man with failing to yield to pedestrians at a crosswalk in connection to the traffic accident yesterday. The man, Stephan Bliven, 49, of 6 Maxson Hill Road, Ashaway, was given the citation and released pending a municipal court appearance.

The School Committee chairwoman, Nancy Burns-Fusaro, 55, of 21 Salt Pond Way, suffered broken ribs and other injuries in the accident. She was transported by ambulance to the Westerly Hospital, where she is listed in satisfactory condition.

The School Committee solicitor, William Nardone, who was also struck, was treated and released at Westerly Hospital.

Police said Bliven was turning left from Broad Street to Main Street at approximately 11 a.m. when he hit both Burns-Fusaro and Nardone, who were on the Main Street crosswalk.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Posted by Steve Peoples at 2:40 PM | Comment

Patriots switching to artificial surface at Gillette

The field at Foxboro's Gillette Stadium, which has been in poor condition since the beginning of the Patriots' season (and wasn't improved much by a resodding that was completed before the Patriots' game against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 5), is being replaced by an artificial surface called FieldTurf. The installation began this afternoon, and the new field will be ready for New England's next home game (Nov. 26 against the Chicago Bears).

Read more on projo.com's Patriots Blog.

Posted by Art at 2:15 PM | Comment

Nobel laureate in literature to speak at Brown tonight

PROVIDENCE -- Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, the winner of the 2006 Nobel prize in literature, will be among a group of international authors speaking at Brown University today.

Pamuk's appearance is part of a three-day conference of the International Writer's Project entitled, "Strange Times, My Dear: A Freedom-to-Write Literary Festival."

Other featured authors will include Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, and Iranian novelists Shahrnush Parsipur and Shahryar Mandanipour.

Today's schedule includes a 3 p.m. roundtable discussion with Pamuk, Mandanipour, and other officials and authors from around the world. Pamuk will also host a reading at 8 p.m.

There are no tickets available for either event, though the public is invited to watch simulcasts in Sayles Hall. Seating in Sayles is first-come-first serve; Brown encourages people to arrive at least an hour early.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:58 PM | Comment

Seinfeld's J. Peterman to sign at Border's tomorrow

Elaine’s eccentric boss from the sitcom Seinfeld will be in Providence tomorrow signing copies of his latest book.

The award-winning actor John O’Hurley, who played J. Peterman on Seinfeld and now hosts The National Dog Show presented by Purina, will read from his book at Borders at the Providence Place Mall at 7 p.m. tomorrow.

Borders describes his book, “It’s Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump,” as a “funny, profound book about the enduring wisdom of dogs.”

The dashing O'Hurley, a Providence College graduate, was also a popular contestant on Dancing with the Stars.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:28 PM | Comment

Judge kicks off juror in Cape Cod slaying trial

BARNSTABLE, Mass. -- The judge in the trial of a trash collector accused of killing a fashion writer removed a female juror today after she was recorded in calls with her jailed boyfriend saying police officers were "dumb" and talking about media reports of the murder case.

The removal of the juror - as the deadlocked panel was about to begin its sixth day of deliberations - means the deliberations must start all over again. The decision prompted an outcry from Christopher McCowen's defense attorney, who immediately moved for a mistrial.

Judge Gary Nickerson denied the motion, and replaced the juror with a female alternate.

-- The Associated Press

The panel had deliberated five days when they told the judge yesterday they were deadlocked in the case against McCowen, charged in the January 2002 killing of Christa Worthington. Nickerson ordered them to keep working to hammer out a verdict, and sequestered the panel last night in a hotel.

Concerns about the juror first surfaced yesterday morning, but the judge spoke to her and the attorneys and decided to keep her on the case.

However, in two phone conversations recorded last night between the juror and her boyfriend, Kyle Hicks, 23, a suspect in a shooting over the weekend, the juror disparaged police officers for interviewing her about him, and spoke of Court TV coverage of the Worthington case. Hicks is being held in the same Barnstable jail as McCowen.

"I am so mad that somebody leaked it out about me" being a juror, she told Hicks, though there was no indication her name or image had been used in media reports.

She also complained that officers had interviewed her about Hicks' involvement in a shooting Saturday morning, calling them "dumb."

The judge said the juror, when questioned by him yesterday, had said she had only a distant relationship with Hicks. The judge also agreed with prosecutors that she had ignored his admonitions to avoid media coverage, and that her statements showed a potential bias against police, requiring her removal from the jury.

Nickerson told the remaining jurors the woman was being removed for personal reasons unrelated to the case, and ordered them to start deliberations anew. He warned them to destroy any charts or paperwork from their earlier deliberations and said that simply bringing the new juror up to speed would not be enough.

McCowen's lawyer, Robert George, was denied permission by the judge to appeal his decision to remove the juror to the Supreme Judicial Court.

"Altering the composition of this jury at this point absolutely destroys the defendant's right to a fair trial," he said.

Worthington, 46, was found lying in a pool of blood in her Truro home, dead from a single stab wound to her chest, with her 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Ava, clinging to her body.

McCowen, who was Worthington's garbage man, initially denied having any physical contact with her. But after police showed him a DNA report linking him to the crime scene, he told eight different versions of the events leading up to Worthington's death, according to a state police trooper who testified during the trial.

McCowen said he had consensual sex with Worthington and beat her during an argument, but claimed his friend, Jeremy Frazier, stabbed and killed her. Frazier was never charged.

Prosecutors told the jury that McCowen's DNA was found on Worthington's body and said his own statements to police amounted to at least a partial confession.

The first jury panel said it was deadlocked on all three charges: first-degree murder, aggravated rape and aggravated burglary.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:14 AM | Comment

Hearings on dredging for LNG ships to start tonight

TIVERTON — As part of the review process for a controversial plan to dredge Mount Hope Bay to clear room for tanker ships that would supply a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Fall River, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is holding two public hearings starting tonight.

The hearing will be at Tiverton High School, 100 North Brayton Rd., and is scheduled to start at 6:30 and end at 10. The second is set for next Monday at Mt. Hope High School, 199 Chestnut St., Bristol. It will also run from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The public may attend the hearings and comment on the dredging plans.

Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

Read the full story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:17 AM | Comment

Traffic update: All clear at S curves in Pawtucket

PAWTUCKET – An accident that slowed traffic on the Pawtucket s curves has been cleared, according to the state Transportation Management Center.

Traffic slowed after a car spun out and slid underneath on Route 95 North between exits 29 and 30.

Pawtucket and state police, as well as Pawtucket fire rescue crews responded to the accident, which happened between 8:15 and 8:20 a.m.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:06 AM | Comment

Update: Bumpy Hope Street changing for the better

PROVIDENCE -- Driving down Hope Street on the East Side these days is a bit of an obstacle course, dodging the raised manhole covers since the top layer of the roadway has been stripped away.

As you’re bumping along the roadway, try thinking of how nice and smooth the once-potholed road will be once the work is completed. The city's Department of Public Works hopes to start repaving the 1.2-mile stretch of Hope Street between Fifth Street and Lloyd Avenue next Monday or Tuesday, if weather permits, department director John Nickelson said today.

The road project -- which also includes nearly a mile of both Hawkins Street and Woodward Road -- includes repaving, sidewalk repairs and the installation of curb cuts to make intersections accessible for people in wheelchairs.

Check out a list of other road projects on the state Department of Transportation's Web site.

For other traffic needs, check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find any traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Correction: An earlier item incorrectly stated the government agency working on the Hope Street project.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:28 AM | Comment

Deadlocked jury to try again in Cape murder trial

BARNSTABLE, Mass. – Jurors who were sequestered last night after saying they could not agree on the case of a trash collector accused of raping and murdering fashion writer Christa Worthington are to resume deliberations this morning.

The panel spent Monday night sequestered at a hotel after telling Judge Gary Nickerson earlier in the day they were deadlocked in the high-profile case despite more than 28 hours of deliberations.

Christopher McCowen, 34, is charged in the January 2002 killing of Worthington, who had left a glamorous life in New York for the quiet of a tiny Cape Cod town to raise her daughter. Worthington, 46, was found lying in a pool of blood in her Truro home, dead from a single stab wound to her chest, with her 2 ½-year-old daughter, Ava, clinging to her body.

McCowen, who was Worthington's garbage man, initially denied having any physical contact with her. But after police showed him a DNA report linking him to the crime scene, he told eight different versions of the events leading up to Worthington's death, according to a state police trooper who testified during the trial.

McCowen said he had consensual sex with Worthington and beat her during an argument, but claimed his friend, Jeremy Frazier, stabbed and killed her. Frazier was never charged.

-- The Associated Press

For more trial coverage, check out the Cape Cod Times coverage of the case.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:56 AM | Comment

Man suffers steam burns in Providence

PROVIDENCE – A 22-year-old man with second-degree burns to his face and hands was taken to Rhode Island Hospital from Silver Lake early this morning.

Called to apartment No. 3 on 240 Clarence St. at 3:33 a.m., crews requested the hospital to set up a trauma room for the man’s steam burns, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

Investigators are at the three-family house now, trying to determine what happened, Taylor said. More details are not yet available.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:30 AM | Comment

Rain, rain won't go away

PROVIDENCE – It’s raining again today and should for the rest of the work week.

Is it any consolation that Saturday looks like it will be partly sunny? Well, maybe. But you better hunker down the rest of the week.

Today, we could get a thunderstorm before noon and fog before 9 a.m.

Also, there’s a small-craft advisory through Wednesday afternoon for the region.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:08 AM | Comment

Correction: Louis Salvatore was not racing

North Providence teen Louis Salvatore was not racing another car when he was killed on Route 295 two years ago. The 17-year-old boy swerved to avoid a car that pulled in front of him in the middle lane of the highway and braked suddenly.

Salvatore died after his Jeep Cherokee rolled three times. The driver of the other car, Jacob Bilodeau, 25, of Providence, drove off and was later arrested.

Bilodeau was convicted last month of driving to endanger, death resulting, and leaving the scene of an accident, death resulting, for his part of the July 2004 accident. He has yet to be sentenced.

A previous story said Bilodeau was racing Salvatore's car.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:01 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

A $100 million budget gap and calls for change in Iraq lead today's newspaper.

Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 6:59 AM | Comment

November 13, 2006

Joseph Ungaro, former Journal exec, distinguished journalist, dies at 76

Joseph M. Ungaro, a former managing editor of The Evening Bulletin and assistant vice president for planning and development of The Providence Journal Co., died last night. He was 76.

Ungaro, who went on to a nationally distinguished career spanning 40 years, is also known for posing the question to President Nixon about his underpayment of income taxes that led to Nixon’s famous “I’m not a crook” remark.

Ungaro went from Providence to Gannett's Westchester Rockland Newspapers in January 1974 and served as managing editor, executive editor, president and then publisher of the group of daily papers. He also served as vice president of the Gannett Co.'s Metro Newspaper Division.

He later became president and chief executive of the Detroit Newspaper Agency, the company that managed a joint operating agreement between The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press.

Ungaro worked for the last decade at Stars and Stripes, where he put together a consolidation plan for the newspaper and then became its ombudsman.

Ungaro had settled in Charlestown, where his family had vacationed for years.

There, he became a prominent voice, getting involved in the budget planning process, and at one point chairing both the budget commission and finance committee.

He led efforts to pull out of the embattled Chariho Regional School District and currently was sitting on the town’s ad hoc school options committee. Most recently, Ungaro was voted into an open seat in the Chariho School Committee.

He died at South County Hospital in South Kingstown. The cause of death was not immediately known. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, a son and four grandchildren.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental, with Associated Press reports

While president of the Associated Press Managing Editors organization in 1973, Ungaro asked Nixon at the group's annual convention in Orlando, Fla., if he had accurately reported his income taxes.

Nixon's famous declaration came after he had gone on to answer a subsequent question about the Watergate scandal. At the end of that reply, he doubled back to Ungaro's question, saying:

"People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook."

Nixon later agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes. A reporter for the Providence newspaper, the late Jack White, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1974 for reporting on Nixon's tax troubles.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:35 PM | Comment

Police ID victims, suspect in shooting and stabbings

CRANSTON -- The police this afternoon confirmed the identities of the victims and suspect in a violent weekend episode that left three people hospitalized.

Authorities say that Joseph Erice, 25, of 37 Gude St., Seekonk, was shot by police after allegedly stabbing two people off Algonquin Trail in Western Cranston. He faces multiple felony charges for his role in the incident, according to a statement released by Cranston police today, though he won't be charged until he's "medically able to be arraigned."

Erice is currently being treated in Rhode Island Hospital, as is one of his alleged victims, Brian Houle, 23, of Tacumsa Ave., Providence, who was stabbed in the incident Saturday night.

The other stabbing victim, Abraham Boyrazian, 65, was treated and released yesterday.

It's unclear exactly what happened, though the police said they plan to charge Erice with burglary, along with three counts of felony assault -- including one count for bludgeoning a police officer.

"The investigation is ongoing with the assistance of the Rhode Island State Police and attorney general's office," reads the Cranston police statement. "Additional information will be released once the investigation is complete."

The state police and the Attorney General’s Office are involved in the investigation. State law dictates that the state police conduct a parallel investigation anytime a local department investigates a shooting by one of its officers, Maj. Ronald T. Blackmar said.

Read today's Journal story.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:55 PM | Comment

Police identify man found dead in Providence cell

PROVIDENCE -- Authorities have identified the North Providence man who died in police custody over the weekend.

Carmine Porreca, 36, of 18 Home Ave., had been arrested Friday for driving with a suspended license. His body was discovered in the holding cell at Providence police headquarters Saturday morning at about 8:30 a.m.

Police Chief Dean Esserman called the incident "a great tragedy," noting that a preliminary review by the medical examiner found no signs of force or trauma. The medical examiner is waiting for toxicology tests before ruling on the Porreca's death, Esserman said.

The attorney general's office, the state police and the mayor have been notified of the incident. An investigation is underway, according to the police report.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:29 PM | Comment

GTECH moves downtown

PROVIDENCE -- As anticipated, about 500 employees of GTECH Holdings Corp. moved into the company's new Providence headquarters near the State House today.

The company closed Thursday and Friday to observe Veterans Day and used the time to move its computer systems and other equipment into the building, according to Robert Vincent, vice president of corporate communications.

"Everything is functioning," Vincent said, noting that the move went "remarkably smoothly."

GTECH's former headquarters in West Greenwich won't be empty for long. Amgen Inc. is scheduled to move in near first of next year, according to Vincent. Some 300 to 400 GTECH manufacturing employees still work out of West Greenwich.

Lawmakers put together a deal in 2003 to give GTECH a 20-year contract to run the state's lottery in return for building a headquarters in Providence.

Posted by Jack Perry at 3:21 PM | Comment

Brown event looks at human rights in China

PROVIDENCE -- China's "greatest exile poet" is scheduled to appear on the Brown campus this afternoon as part of a student group's effort to celebrate Human Rights in China Awareness Week.

Huang Xiang spent more than 10 years in a Chinese prison. He will be joined this afternoon by professor Xu Wenli, a co-founder of the Chinese Democratic Party who spent 16 years in prison for "activities as a dissident," according to an announcement from Brown Amnesty International, which is sponsoring the events.

Today's discussions, which are scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m., are titled, "Beyond Tiananmen and the Democracy Wall: Human Rights in China Then and Now."

The event will take place in room 106 in the Smith-Buonanno building off Meeting Street. It is free and open to the public.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:45 PM | Comment

Common Cause's Phil West honored tonight

PROVIDENCE -- As his 18-year career at Common Cause Rhode Island comes to an end, Phil West will be honored tonight at a retirement celebration at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

West served as the executive director for the nonpartisan government watchdog organization for nearly two decades, pushing such reforms as term limits, open meetings and separation of powers.

His group opposed efforts to bring a "no-bid" casino to Rhode Island, and supported last week's successful ballot question that gives voting rights to felons immediately after leaving prison.

Tonight's gala begins at 6 p.m. and will include a presentation by the Ocean State Follies. For more information contact (401) 861-2322.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:42 PM | Comment

Update: Cranston recount is Thursday; Fung readies suit

CRANSTON -- Lawyers for Republican mayoral candidate Allan W. Fung say they will go to Providence County Superior Court tomorrow to ask a judge to compel the Board of Elections to grant public access to any ballots that do not register a vote in Thursday's recount.

Fung trailed Democrat Michael T. Napolitano by 71 votes after the provisional ballots were tabulated on Friday.

The Board of Elections has declined Fung's request to view all ballots that are rejected as "undervotes" or "overvotes" during the recount. About 500 ballots cast in the election last Tuesday were given those classifications.

The Board of Elections has delayed the recount in the Cranston contest until Thursday. The manual re-feeding of more than 31,000 ballots had been scheduled for tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.

Today, Fung's campaign lawyer, Angel Taveras, said a review of those ballots could reveal the voter's intent. For example, he said, some voters may have circled the name of a candidate instead of connecting the arrows on the ballot.

"We can't even determine that there's a vote if we can't look at the ballot," Taveras said.

Last week's mayoral contest, to replace Republican Stephen P. Laffey, is thought to have been the closest in city history.

-- Journal staff writer Benamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:35 PM | Comment

Patriots-Bears game time changed to 4:15 p.m.

The NFL today announced several changes to the Week 12 schedule, thanks to the flex scheduling instituted with NBC's Sunday Night Football.

As part of the change, the Bears at Patriots game on Sunday, Nov. 26 has been pushed back to 4:15 p.m. That game will be televised on FOX.

The NBC Sunday night game that day will be Philadelphia at Indianapolis.

-- Journal sports writer Shalise Manza Young

Posted by Art at 12:18 PM | Comment

Check out biodiesel boat before it races around the globe

NEWPORT – An environmentally friendly powerboat that will attempt to break a world record for circumnavigating the globe is docked here today.

Earthrace, which is powered by biodiesel, is in the midst of a promotional tour – trying to raise money and find sponsors – before setting off from Barbados on March 1 to try to break the world record for powerboats, according to spokeswoman Devann Yata.

For a $5 donation, people in Newport today can tour the boat, which is stationed behind the Newport Hotel and marina.

Check out photos and more about the boat online.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:10 PM | Comment

Supreme Court won't review murder conviction of Kennedy cousin

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court today let stand the murder conviction of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel, who is serving a prison term of at least 20 years.

The justices declined to take Skakel's appeal of his conviction in the beating death of his Greenwich, Conn., neighbor, Martha Moxley, 31 years ago when the two were teenagers. Skakel, a nephew of Ethel Kennedy, was convicted in 2002.

Now 46, Skakel is serving 20 years to life in prison.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:35 AM | Comment

Gas prices increase for the first time since summer

Gasoline prices in Rhode Island have increased for the first time since July, according to AAA Southern New England's weekly survey.

The average price for regular, unleaded gasoline is $2.20 per gallon at the self-service pump, an increase of two cents from last week, AAA said.

The price was $2.19 per gallon a year ago.

See AAA's fuel gauge report.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:25 AM | Comment

Update: Man hospitalized after Providence fire

PROVIDENCE – A man in his late 50s has been taken to Rhode Island Hospital for minor smoke inhalation after a fire broke out this morning in a three-story house in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

Firefighters who were called to 188 Leah St. at about 8:35 a.m. had the fire under control at 8:57 a.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

The fire began on the second floor, Taylor said.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:06 AM | Comment

100-mph chase on Route 95 this morning

A Connecticut woman, who was driving about 100 mph on Route 95, sideswiped another vehicle and crashed into the jersey barrier early this morning.

She will be arraigned at the Hope Valley State Police barracks.

Jennifer DeSilva, 23, of 8 North Taylor Ave. in Norwalk, Conn., is charged with reckless driving, eluding police and operating a vehicle with an out-of-state suspended license, according to State Police Lt. David Neill.

Neill said DeSilva, driving a green Toyota Camry, hit 100 mph southbound on Route 95, just north of exit 3.

As troopers attempted to pull the car over around 2 a.m., the Toyota passed a tractor trailer in the breakdown lane and then attempted to squeeze between two vehicles, Neill said.

The Toyota sideswiped the vehicle in the right lane, lost control and then collided head-on with the jersey barrier in the middle of the road. The car spun around and came to a stop up against an embankment on the right side of the road, south of exit 2 in Hopkinton.

As state troopers Michael Brouillette and Michael Ferruccio approached the vehicle, DeSilva attempted to put the vehicle in reverse and flee, Neill said.

DeSilva and her sister, who was in the car with her, were treated at Westerly Hospital.

The passengers in the car she struck were treated at the scene.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 8:13 AM | Comment

Worthington jury to resume deliberations

BARNSTABLE, Mass. – The jury in the Christa Worthington trial is expected back in Barnstable County Superior Court at 9 a.m. today for a fifth day of deliberations.

In the trial, trash collector Christopher McCowen, 34, is charged with raping and killing the fashion writer on Jan. 5, 2002.

Prosecutors insist McCowen acted alone and made up a story about his friend being the real killer.

Jurors have been instructed that under the state's joint criminal venture theory, they could convict McCowen even if they believe the story that he gave police that Jeremy Frazier fatally stabbed the victim.

Frazier was not charged and said he was not at Worthington's home the night she was killed.

-- The Associated Press and projo.com reports

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:32 AM | Comment

Traffic: Rain could cause flooding

Last night’s heavy fog has lifted, but the roads are a bit slick this morning. Rain throughout the day could cause some flooding in poor drainage areas, so look out for puddles on your way to work.

Before you hit the road today, check out the state Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find traffic alerts describing accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:19 AM | Comment

Rain, rain and more rain

PROVIDENCE – We hope you enjoyed the glorious fall day on Saturday, because it’s going to rain all week.

It was already drizzling a bit this morning, even though the showers are mainly expected after 9 a.m. The high should be around 53.

Rain is on the horizon through Friday, with high temps up into the low 60s on Wednesday and Thursday, and lows expected in the high 40s and low 50s.

Get the latest conditions and forecasts from projo.com.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:09 AM | Comment

Today's front page: The tales of two faces

Today's Journal front page features the smiling face of a big winner from last week, Sheldon Whitehouse. Whitehouse, who beat incumbent U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee in Tuesday's election, is featured in a story by Journal staff writer Scott MacKay.

The front page also displays the grimacing face of Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady, whose team was beaten by the New York Jets, 17-14, yesterday at home. The sports section includes complete coverage.

See today's front page.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:08 AM | Comment

November 10, 2006

A funeral for fallen soldier in Portsmouth / Photo

Journal photo / John Freidah
Members of the R.I. Army National Guard's Military Funeral Honor Guard transport the ashes of Sgt. Michael Weidemann at his funeral today.

More than 100 mourners attended a funeral this afternoon in Portsmouth for Army Sgt. Michael R. Weidemann, the 11th Rhode Islander killed in the Iraq war.

The two-hour ceremony was held in St. Mary's Episcopal Church, where Weidemann's maternal grandmother is a congregant. She attended the ceremony, as did Weidemann's sister and three brothers.

Governor Carcieri, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and Senator-elect Sheldon Whitehouse were among the dignitaries in attendance.

Weidemann's ashes were buried in the church cemetery.

Earlier today, a memorial service was held for Weidemann at Rogers High School in Newport, where he was a member of the Junior ROTC program. He enlisted in the service shortly after graduating in 2001.

Tribute to the troops: Post condolences for Sgt. Weidemann.

-- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:58 PM | Comment

Newport Grand sues Newport over its expansion plans

NEWPORT -- Newport Grand has filed a Superior Court lawsuit against the city for blocking its efforts to expand its video-gaming operations.

The former jai alai fronton will seek a summary judgment at a hearing slated for Dec. 4, according to court records.

Last summer, the city refused to issue a building permit for Newport Grand’s plans for a 23,000-square-foot, two-story addition to its complex.

The additional space would support 500 of the 800 new video terminals the state has approved. The city determined that the expansion would be illegal because zoning for the site prohibited “casino-type gambling, including but not limited to video lottery terminals.’’

When Newport Grand requested a zone change, the City Council unanimously turned it down.

Council members and residents cited concerns about any expansion of gambling at the facility, even though the state has approved an increase from 1,301 to 2,101 video terminals at Newport Grand.

-- Journal staff writer Rich Salit

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:46 PM | Comment

Update: Jury in Cape fashion writer's murder wraps up without verdict

BARNSTABLE, Mass. – After four days of deliberations, the jury in the Christa Worthington trial has been sent home for the weekend.

In the trial, trash collector Christopher McCowen, 34, is charged with raping and killing the fashion writer on Jan. 5, 2002.

The jury is due back in Barnstable County Superior Court at 9 a.m. Monday, according to Scott Nickerson, clerk of courts for Barnstable County.

Prosecutors insist McCowen acted alone and made up a story about his friend being the real killer.

Jurors have been instructed that under the state's joint criminal venture theory, they could convict McCowen even if they believe the story that he gave police that Jeremy Frazier fatally stabbed the victim.

Frazier was not charged and said he was not at Worthington's home the night she was killed.

-- The Associated Press and projo.com reports

Under the theory of joint venture, someone who actively assists another person in committing a crime is considered just as responsible for the crime. Under the theory, the person who assisted must share the same mental state or have the same intent as the person who actually commits the murder.

McCowen has said he had consensual sex with Worthington. He also told police he helped Frazier beat her, that he watched as Frazier killed her and that he helped Frazier wipe down her body then beat her.

Some lawyers have said it is somewhat unusual, but not unheard of, for a judge to instruct the jury on joint venture in a case in which only one person has been charged.

-- The Associated Press and projo.com reports

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:39 PM | Comment

Update: Provisional ballots boost Napolitano's lead in Cranston race

In what has been described as the closest mayoral election in Cranston’s history, Democrat Michael T. Napolitano’s lead over Republican rival Allan W. Fung increased this morning to 71 votes after the state Board of Elections staff tabulated the provisional ballots.

Fung has requested a recount of all 32,140 ballots cast in the election. That recount has been scheduled for Tuesday at the Board of Elections office in Providence.

This morning, once the provisional ballots were counted, Napolitano made his first public statement since the election.

“I’m cautiously optimistic,” he said. “We hope it holds up.”

Napolitano did not declare victory, nor has he appointed a transition team to prepare to take over the mayor’s office.

The Board of Elections anticipates the recount results will be available on Tuesday.

The city’s Board of Canvassers could certify the votes for the city’s next mayor on Wednesday at the earliest, although legal challenges by the Fung campaign could delay that certification.

Fung's lawyer said later today that the campaign may formally appeal a Board of Elections decision to deny public access to the ballots.

After the provisional ballots were tabulated this morning, Fung's campaign lawyer, Angel Taveras, requested access to any ballots that are rejected by the voting machines during the recount. About 420 of the 32,140 ballots did not register a vote in the mayoral race.

If ballots are rejected again next week, Taveras said, campaign staff would like to examine them to see if the voter's attempt is discernible.

The Board of Elections rejected that request.

"We're not allowed to see the ballots," Taveras said. "We don't believe that's appropriate."

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:02 PM | Comment

Mass. man is indicted for East Providence murder

A state grand jury today indicted Joel Noonan, 36, of Avon, Mass., for the murder Sept. 24 of Steven Dowgiala.

Noonan is charged with stabbing Dowgiala to death after forcing his way into Dowgiala's home in the Rumford section of East Providence. Dowgiala's wife Susan is Noonan's cousin.

The police say Noonan fled to New York City where, the next day, he was shot by a police officer and arrested.

Noonan is in custody in New York. According to the Rhode Island attorney general's office, a Governor's Warrant will be sought for his extradition.

In addition to one count of murder, the grand jury indicted Noonan today on one count of entering a dwelling house with the intent to commit murder, and two counts of simple assault.

Noonan allegedly assaulted Susan Dowgliala and the couple's 8-year-old daughter.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 3:55 PM | Comment

Photo: Mourning one of their own at Rogers High

Journal photo / Bob Thayer
As a flag flies at half-staff overhead, members of the Rogers High School Junior ROTC program today mourn the loss of Army Sgt. Michael R. Weidemann, 23, a Rogers graduate who was killed Oct. 31 in Iraq.

A memorial service for him was held outside the Newport school, where he had participated in the ROTC program before graduating in 2001.

This afternoon, funeral services are being held for Sgt. Weidemann at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Portsmouth. Burial will follow on the church grounds.

Weidemann was killed while on patrol in the Anbar Province west of Baghdad when his armored vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. He was serving his second tour in Iraq for the Army's 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

Tribute to the troops: Post condolences for Sgt. Weidemann.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 3:21 PM | Comment

Update: Woman rejects plea offer in brutal revenge killing

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – A Cumberland woman accused in the July 2005 revenge killing of a 19-year-old Providence woman declined a plea offer after it was made public in court this morning.

The offer from the state Attorney General’s Office, presented before Superior Court Judge Stephen P. Nugent, would have required Tawanna N. Sampson, 30, to plead guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

The plea offer was presented for both Sampson and co-defendant Shea Cook, 22, of South Kingstown, who has not yet said if he’ll accept the offer.

During the proceeding, a man who was sitting by Sampson’s family stood up in court and said, “Hey, Tawanna, stay strong."

"Yo, just hold off. They don’t have nothing on you,” the man said as court officers escorted him out of the courtroom.

It is unclear whether the man was related to Sampson.

Neither defendant was asked to accept or reject the offer in court today.

However, after leaving court, Sampson declined the offer, her attorney, Joseph L. DeCarporale Jr., said outside the courtroom. The case will now proceed to trial, which is set to begin Jan. 30, he said.

Cook’s lawyer, Kathleen M. Hagerty, declined to comment. He will be back in court on Nov. 21.

The co-defendants in the murder trial of 19-year-old Stacy Ann Brissett would have faced up to 50 years in jail under the plea offer. They would have been eligible for parole after 40 years.

Sampson was arrested a month after the police say Brissett was shot repeatedly on Narragansett Indian land in Charlestown, strangled and then dumped over the Indian Leap waterfall in Connecticut.

Sampson is the sister of Dwayne A. Sampson, who was shot to death in Providence in June 2005. Prosecutors have said that Tawanna Sampson and the other defendants in the case suspected that Brissett had set up her live-in boyfriend, Dwayne Sampson. He was fatally shot with a high-powered rifle outside the couple’s home in Providence’s North End weeks before Brissett was killed.

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

The plea offer for Tawanna Sampson and Cook reflected downgraded charges.

Sampson will now go to trial on the original charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, carrying and discharging a firearm while committing a violent crime, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

Cook has also been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and carrying and discharging a firearm while committing a violent crime.

In court today, once the plea offer was presented, Sampson’s attorney addressed the court, telling the judge his client had asked to be released from the ACI into home confinement. DeCarporale told the judge he explained to his client that wouldn’t be possible, based on the nature of the charges, and he then asked for a January trial.

A date of Nov. 27 was set for when Sampson will officially enter her plea in court.

The shooter, Shonda Northup, admitted her role in Brissett's killing and agreed to testify against Sampson and Cook last May. She pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, conspiracy and two firearms charges in exchange for 60 years in prison, with 45 to serve.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:36 PM | Comment

Sox reportedly have inside track on pitching phenom

ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that the Red Sox have made the top bid for the rights to negotiate with highly touted Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Olney quotes major league sources as saying that the Red Sox have bid between $38 million and $45 million to Matsuzaka's Japanese club, the Seibu Lions, for the rights to talk to the pitcher. The Lions have until Tuesday to accept or reject the bid.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 2:30 PM | Comment

Veterans Day: Events, closings mark WWI end

Journal photo / John Freidah
Students at the Barnes Elementary School in Johnston sign a Rhode Island state flag which will be sent to the 1207th Transportation Company of the Rhode Island National Guard at Base Camp Adder in Iraq. Student Zachary Guglielmo, 8, was among them. His uncle, 1st Lt. Thomas Manera, is with the 1207th. Read the full story from today's Journal.

Tomorrow is Veterans Day, the annual observance of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I.

Events will be held around our area this weekend, including two ceremonies at the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery in Exeter. See a list here.

Observed as a federal and state holiday, it also means that government offices are closed tomorrow. Here's a list of what's open and what's closed on Saturday, Veterans Day, in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Liquor stores open
Retail stores open
Supermarkets open
Taverns (food) open
Taverns (no food) open

Banks varies
State offices closed
Municipal offices closed
Schools closed
Libraries varies

Stock market closed
Federal offices closed
Mail delivery none

RIPTA Holiday schedule

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:19 PM | Comment

Providence crews fighting two-alarm blaze

PROVIDENCE – Firefighters have responded to a fire at 25 Terminal Rd., where two vehicles inside a storage facility are on fire.

Crews were called to the scene of the two-alarm blaze at 1:50 p.m., according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

More details are not yet available.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:13 PM | Comment

Coast Guard IDs worker who died on fishing vessel

The man who died yesterday while working aboard a docked fishing vessel in New Bedford has been identified by the U.S. Coast Guard, which is investigating the contractor's death.

Jose Baptista was found collapsed yesterday around noon on the Sandra Lee after using a gas-powered pressure washer in the boat, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Pinneo.

Nine other people were hospitalized after being overcome by fumes, according to the police.

Although carbon monoxide poisoning is being considered as a factor, the investigation is ongoing, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boston office.

-- projo.com reports and The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:03 PM | Comment

Sunday girls soccer finals moved to tomorrow

With lots of rain in the forecast for the end of the weekend, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League has decided to reschedule three girls soccer finals from Sunday afternoon to Saturday. Tonight's Division I final between La Salle and Scituate will take place as scheduled, as will the three boys soccer finals scheduled for tomorrow.

Here is the new girls soccer schedule for Saturday. All games are at Pierce Stadium in East Providence:

2 p.m.: Division III, Tiverton vs. Lincoln
4 p.m.: Division IV, Tolman vs. Rogers
7 p.m.: Division II, Coventry vs. Prout

Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:55 AM | Comment

Providence police look for link between two shootings

PROVIDENCE – The police this morning are investigating the possibility that two shootings last night within 20 minutes of each other could be connected.

Both young men who were shot – one in the Smith Hill neighborhood and one in South Providence – are in stable condition at Rhode Island Hospital with non life-threatening injuries, Police Capt. Hugh Clements said this morning.

No arrests have been made, but the police do have suspects in mind and continue to investigate both shootings, Clements said.

At 10:42 p.m. last night, the police were called to 48 Pekin St., in Smith Hill, where Wilfredo Ramos, 23, had been shot on the street, in both of his legs and in the buttocks, Clements said.

Then in South Providence at 11:06 p.m., 18-year-old Melvin Brown was shot at 355 Friendship St. in his right arm, his left thigh and his lower right leg, Clements said.

The police do not know the motive for the shootings at this time, Clements said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:01 AM | Comment

R.I. to honor veterans with parades, prayers

Rhode Islanders will mark Veterans Day tomorrow with parades, speeches, prayers and ceremonies.

See a list of events from today's Journal.

Veterans Day, which falls on November 11, was originally established as Armistice Day to honor World War I veterans and mark the armistice between allied and German forces that went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

In 1954, after U.S. forces had fought in World War II and Korea, the Act was amended to change the holiday to Veterans Day and honor American veterans of all wars.

In a proclamation last week, President Bush urged Americans to recognize the week of Nov. 5 to Nov. 11th as National Veterans Awareness Week, and he encouraged "all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers."

"To protect the nation they love, our veterans stepped forward when America needed them most. In conflicts around the world, their sacrifice and resolve helped destroy the enemies of freedom and saved millions from oppression," Mrs. Bush said. "In answering history's call with honor, decency, and resolve, our veterans have shown the power of liberty and earned the respect and admiration of a grateful nation."

Read the full proclamation.

Since Nov. 11 falls on a Saturday this year, state employees will celebrate the holiday Monday, according to state law.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:00 AM | Comment

Germans probe deposits by wife of Custer Battles founder

DARMSTADT, Germany -- German authorities say they are getting help from the U.S. Justice Department on a probe into $1.7 million deposited in German banks by the wife of a former Pentagon contractor with Rhode Island roots.

Custer Battles LLC, of Middletown, R.I., was found guilty by a jury in Virginia last March of defrauding the U.S. government and told to pay $10 million for exaggerating its work in Iraq. The whistleblower lawsuit was later overturned by a federal judge on grounds that the coalition authority in Iraq, set up by President Bush after the U.S. invasion, was not legally part of the U.S. government.

The Justice Department declined to comment on any investigation of the firm, which provided security at Baghdad airport and other U.S.-occupied installations. German authorities, however, say they are making progress in their probe of large deposits made by Jacqueline Battles, wife of company co-founder Mike Battles, into multiple German bank accounts under her maiden name of Vihernik.

Jacqueline Battles, who returned to Germany after the jury verdict was announced, was arrested Sept. 6 and ordered to remain in Germany and wear an electronic monitor. However, she has not been charged.

Nearly $2 million was seized from her accounts, based in part on information from the Justice Department and the federal court in Virginia where the jury verdict was reversed, said Ger Neuber, spokesman for the prosecutors' office here.

Read the full story.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:13 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

Today's front page leads with: Sen. Chafee's press conference and the reaction of two Rhode Island Marines to the defense secretary's resignation.

Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:11 AM | Comment

Funeral today for R.I. soldier killed in Iraq

The funeral for Sgt. Michael Weidemann, the 23-year-old Newport soldier killed in Iraq last week, is scheduled for today.

Weidemann's funeral will be at 2 p.m. at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 324 East Main Rd., Portsmouth. Burial will follow on the church grounds.

Weidemann, a 2001 Rogers High School graduate, was killed last Tuesday while on patrol in the Anbar Province west of Baghdad when his armored vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.

He was serving his second tour in Iraq for the Army's 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:11 AM | Comment

Weather: September returns in November

PROVIDENCE -- Today should feel more like September than November with sunny skies and the temperature expected to reach 64 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Tomorrow looks like the best day of the weekend with partly sunny skies and a high near 62 degrees. Showers should move in after 3 a.m. Sunday. Expect periods of rain during the day Sunday, especially after noon.

For more weather and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

November 9, 2006

7 accused of trafficking in crack cocaine in Pawtucket

PAWTUCKET -- After a 10-month investigation, a federal grand jury has charged seven men with drug trafficking for allegedly selling crack cocaine out of the Prospect Heights housing project.

During a press conference at Pawtucket Police headquarters today, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente said that four of the seven men charged have been arrested. The others are considered fugitives.

Corrente said law enforcement officers disrupted a large-scale cocaine trafficking ring in Prospect Heights.

Some of the accused are suspected of being part of a loosely knit gang known as the Prospect Heights Posse, which has no known national affiliation, Pawtucket Police Chief George L. Kelley III said.

A total of 22 ounces of crack cocaine with a street value of $22,000 was recovered, according to Corrente.

-- Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:00 PM | Comment

Police: Man tries to kill self by jumping over mall railing

PROVIDENCE – In an apparent suicide attempt, a Providence man jumped over a third-floor railing inside the Providence Place mall this afternoon and landed on the first floor.

He survived, with a broken arm and leg, according to police Maj. Paul Fitzgerald.

At about 2 p.m. today, the unidentified man “took a running leap over the banister inside the mall,” Fitzgerald said.

The police are treating the incident as a suicide attempt and do not yet have information about what led up to it, Fitzgerald said.

Rescue crews took the man to Rhode Island Hospital, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Kate Bramson at 5:05 PM | Comment

Providence man, 20, pleads guilty in revenge killing

PROVIDENCE – An 18-year-old city man pleaded guilty today to killing 20-year-old Richard Perez last June, a murder of revenge after the shooting less than an hour earlier of another 18-year-old.

In Superior Court today, Judge Robert D. Krause sentenced Nicholas Paredes, of 150 Adelaide Ave., to 60 years, with 35 to serve at the Adult Correctional Institutions and 25 years suspended with probation, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:36 PM | Comment

Chances dim for Cranston candidate Fung

CRANSTON -- Mayoral hopeful Allan W. Fung got bad news today from the state Board of Elections, leaving little hope that he will be named as Mayor Stephen P. Laffey's successor.

The Board of Elections said it will not count 19 of the 73 provisional ballots toward the city's mayoral tallies, eliminating any chance that Fung could overcome the 63-vote deficit that separates him from Democrat Michael T. Napolitano.

Robert Kando, the board’s executive director, said the 19 ballots — cast by registered voters who voted in an incorrect precinct — have been classified as “federal office only” and will not count toward any statewide or city contests.

“We do just what the rule says, federal only,” Kando said. “No hearing is scheduled. It’s an administrative item.”

The Board of Elections’ regulations governing provisional voting partially disqualifies any voter whose provisional ballot application lists a home address outside of the district in which the vote was cast.

Those ballots, the regulation says, count only for presidential and congressional elections.

Fung, the City Council minority leader, needs to receive 69 of the 73 votes to win the mayor’s office. His campaign’s legal counsel, Angel Taveras, said Fung may challenge the Board of Elections regulation.

“Those 19 are registered voters, registered in Cranston,” Taveras said.
“Valid votes should be counted.”

Fung also plans to request a full recount of votes cast in what is being called the closest mayoral election in city history.

-- Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Peter Phipps at 3:30 PM | Comment

Chafee: Power shift could be good for country / Photo

--- Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Sen. Lincoln Chafee addressed his Tuesday loss to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse at a news conference today in his Providence office.

PROVIDENCE – A lot of people have told U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee over the last two days that they’re sorry he lost, but glad control of the House and Senate have switched to the Democrats.

He feels the same way, Chafee, a Republican, told the press in Providence today. He stopped short of saying that he planned to change parties.

“I think the president now is going to have to talk to the Democrats,” said Chafee, who frequently clashed with the administration.

This has been an exhausting period, Chafee said, with the seven-day-a-week race that takes so much from the candidates. Losing, he said, is traumatic.

“I’ll be honest, it’s a kick in the guts,” he said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:30 PM | Comment

Traffic: Cleanup completed at Exit 14, Route 95S

The state has finished cleaning an oil spill at Exit 14 off Route 95 South in Warwick and all lanes have reopened.

The state's Transportation Management Center had earlier warned drivers about possible traffic delays because of the cleanup.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:36 PM | Comment

David Gergen to speak at Roger Williams today

BRISTOL -- Longtime political figure David Gergen is scheduled to speak today at Roger Williams University, where the former presidential adviser will deliver a lecture entitled, "The Bush Second Term -- Issues and Answers."

Gergen directs the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has served as a White House adviser to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton.

Gergen's appearance is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in the university's campus recreation center. A limited number of public tickets are available at the door for $5 or by calling (401) 254-3067.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:23 PM | Comment

11M bottles of acetaminophen recalled; CVS among retailers

WASHINGTON -- A major manufacturer of acetaminophen sold by Wal-Mart, CVS, Safeway and more than 100 other retailers recalled 11 million bottles of the widely used pain-relieving pills today after discovering some were contaminated with metal fragments.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or illness.

The recall affects bottles containing various amounts of 500-milligram caplets made by the Perrigo Co.

Like aspirin, acetaminophen works as a pain killer and fever reducer, but it does not have anti-inflammatory properties and does not produce the side effects associated with aspirin, such as stomach irritation, according to the American Council for Headache Education's Web site.

Read the full story.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:01 PM | Comment

Update: Superior Court in Providence briefly evacuated

PROVIDENCE – A box alarm went off, briefly evacuating Superior Court here shortly before noon.

More than 100 people, many of them jurors, went out the Benefit Street entrance to the courthouse, and many were standing in clusters on the streets leading up toward the Brown University campus.

By noon, people were returning to the building. The incident was nothing serious, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

-- Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:01 PM | Comment

R.I. woman, 21, charged in N.H. college hazing incidents

PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Four students at Plymouth State University -- including a 21-year-old Barrington woman -- have been charged with hazing, providing alcohol to minors and simple assault.

New Hampshire police are investigating what they believe is a series of hazing incidents off-campus this fall involving women pledging Chi Alpha Zeta, a non-sanctioned, non-recognized sorority.

Warrants and affidavits in support of their arrests have been sealed and details of the incident haven't been released.

Police have arrested Amanda Gomes of Barrington, R.I.; 21-year-old students Meagan Ford of Lyndeborough; Jillian Sargent of Wilton; and Alana Hokans of Wethersfield, Conn.

Three years ago, 20-year-old Plymouth State student Kelly Nester, of Coventry, R.I., was killed while pledging another unsanctioned sorority. She died when a sport utility vehicle carrying 10 pledges, some of whom were blindfolded, crashed.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:59 AM | Comment

Update: Westerly textile mill to pay $150K for polluting

PROVIDENCE -- Three environmental groups have won a "groundbreaking" legal battle that will force a Westerly textile mill to upgrade its environmental safeguards.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was settled earlier in the week, were holding a press conference today outside U.S. District Court in Kennedy Plaza to discuss the settlement.

U.S. District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres signed an agreement on Monday that forces Bradford Dyeing Association, Inc. to upgrade its existing facilities and to pay $150,000 for past violations.

Half of that money will establish a Bradford Area Environmental Fund for local environmental and public health projects, and half will be devoted to reducing pollution emissions from the mill's main boilers.

The lawsuit charged that the mill had been discharging illegal levels of copper, lead, fecal coliform bacteria and other pollutants into the Pawcatuck River for more than five years, and had consistently failed tests measuring the overall toxicity of its effluent.

The mill, located in the village of Bradford, borders the Pawcatuck, which at that point forms the boundary between Westerly and Hopkinton.

The failed tests were submitted to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management every month.

"State and federal environmental regulators gave [the mill] a free pass for years,” explained Environment Rhode Island Advocate Matt Auten. “As a result, citizens and environmental groups were forced to step up and take legal action to enforce our clean air and clean water laws."

The company issued a statement this morning:

“Bradford Dyeing Association has always taken its responsibility to the environment and to its neighbors seriously, and this agreement is further proof of that commitment," said spokesman Gregg Perry in a statement.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

"As part of this settlement, BDA is investing in new equipment and processes to upgrade the company’s air and water quality systems," Perry continued. "Taking these steps will ensure BDA continues to meet state and federal environmental regulations, and that BDA will remain an important economic engine in Southern Rhode Island."

The case is the first known "Rhode Island citizen enforcement suit to enforce portions of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act," according to an advisory issued by several environmental groups such as Environment Rhode Island that plan to attend this morning's press conference.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:46 AM | Comment

Jury still deliberating in slaying of Cape fashion writer

BARNSTABLE, Mass. -- Prosecutors in the trial of a trash collector accused of killing fashion writer Christa Worthington insist he acted alone and made up a story about his friend being the real killer.

But under the state's joint criminal venture theory the jury could still convict Christopher McCowen even if they believe his story that Jeremy Frazier stabbed her, even though Frazier was never charged.

Jurors resumed deliberations for a third day today in the trial of McCowen, 34, who is charged with raping and killing Worthington on Jan. 5, 2002.

After both sides finished presenting evidence in the trial earlier this week, Assistant District Attorney Robert Welsh asked Judge Gary Nickerson to instruct the jury on the joint venture theory. McCowen's attorney, Robert George, fought the request, but Nickerson agreed with prosecutors.

-- The Associated Press

Some legal analysts said the theory could make it easier for the jury to convict McCowen.

If jurors were not allowed to consider the possibility that McCowen and Frazier committed the crime together, they would have to accept the prosecutor's theory that McCowen acted alone in killing Worthington in order to find him guilty of murder.

But under the joint venture theory, jurors were told they could also convict McCowen if they believe he participated in the crime, even if they think it was Frazier who fatally stabbed her. McCowen has said he had consensual sex with Worthington. He also told police he helped Frazier beat her, that he watched as Frazier killed her and that he helped Frazier wipe down her body then beat her.

"It's inviting a compromise verdict in a very emotional case," said Stephanie Page, a public defender.

"By giving a joint venture instruction not based on the prosecution's theory, it allows the prosecution to have its cake and eat it too, and that is just not fair," Page said.

Under the theory of joint venture, someone who actively assists another person in committing a crime is considered just as responsible for the crime. Under the theory, the person who assisted must share the same mental state or have the same intent as the person who actually commits the murder.

Some lawyers said it is somewhat unusual, but not unheard of, for a judge to instruct the jury on joint venture in a case in which only one person has been charged.

Edward P. Ryan Jr. a defense lawyer and former president of the Massachusetts Bar Association, said he believes the judge's instruction was appropriate, given McCowen's statements to police. Allowing jurors to consider the joint theory will help prosecutors because it gives the jury two options for conviction, he said.

"The prosecution looked the jury in the eye and said we think his story of the other guy being involved is baloney. However, if you believe what the defendant says about the second guy's involvement, you can still find (McCowen) guilty of murder," Ryan said.

But David Frank, a former prosecutor, said the joint venture theory could end up working against the prosecution.

"I've always found the more options you give to a jury, the more complicated things can become in the jury room," Frank said. "As a prosecutor, what I'd be worried about is if there is conflict about how the crime happened, some jurors may view that as reasonable doubt."

Also on Wednesday, prosecutor Welsh was among four people nominated by Gov. Mitt Romney to be an associate justices on the District Court Circuit.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:32 AM | Comment

Traffic: Multiple accidents on 95N slows commute

PROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Transportation has reported two accidents along the same stretch of Interstate 95 North at about 8:30 a.m. that have clogged the morning commute.

The first accident took place in the left lane of the highway before Exit 16, which leads to Route 10. The second accident happened in the right lanes of the same area, according to the Department of Transportation.

There's no word on any injuries associated with the accidents.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:59 AM | Comment

Fire burns old farmer's market building

PROVIDENCE -- Fire crews responded to a blaze at the old farmer's market on Kinsley Avenue last night.

"Someone lit a bunch of pallets on fire in one of the brick buildings," James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department, said this morning.

Firefighters got to the scene at about 7:40 p.m. and extinguished the fire in about 20 minutes. The two-story brick building that burned was vacant, Taylor said, adding that no one was hurt.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:59 AM | Comment

Dems Senate takeover gives New England new clout

WASHINGTON -- The shift of Senate control to the Democrats will intensify the surge of clout for increasingly "blue" New England, with key new committee chairmanships among the gains.

Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed will regain the seat on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee that he held for the 18-month interval of Democatic Senate rule during President Bush's first term. Appropriators hold the pursestrings on most government programs.

Reed's ascent could give Rhode Island a formidable one-two punch in the continual struggle to secure federal dollars for the state, since Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Reed, already a Democratic voice in military affairs, will rise in seniority on the Senate Armed Services Committee and become chairman of the panel's subcommittee with jurisdiction over emerging military threats around the globe. Reed's close associate, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., will replace Republican Sen. John Warner as Armed Services Committee chairman.

Democratic power will get an early showcase next year as Levin, Reed and their colleagues question former CIA chief Robert Gates, Mr. Bush's choice to replace Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, at committee hearings to weigh the question of whether the full Senate should confirm Gates's nomination.

Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has signaled that as the new chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, he will move quickly to push pass an increase in the minimum wage. He will replace New Hampshire Republican Judd Gregg as chairman.

The new Congress will convene in January after a brief "lame duck" session of the existing Republican-led Congress.

-- Journal staff writer John Mulligan

Veteran Vermont Sen. Patrick J. Leahy may best personify the dramatic change. He will be the new chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which controls nominations to the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Leahy will thus represent new-found Democratic power to curb the rightward shift that President Bush has achieved with the seating of Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. on the high court.

The new chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will be Connecticut Sen. Christopher J. Dodd. He will preside opposite Fall River-area Rep. Barney Frank, who will lead the counterpart panel in the House.

-- Journal staff writer John Mulligan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 8:24 AM | Comment

Today's Journal front page

Today's front page features full coverage of Secretary of State Donald H. Rumsfeld's resignation and a story exposing that nearly 5,000 dead people are registered to vote in Rhode Island.

See the page in .pdf format.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:29 AM | Comment

Warm sun on its way

PROVIDENCE -- It may be November, but it won't feel like it today.

The wet weather that soaked the area overnight is gone. And morning cloudy skies are expected to give way to bright sun today with a high near 65 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Tonight's temperatures will be mild as well. The weather service is predicting a low around 48 degrees.

Clear and mild conditions are expected to stick around into the weekend.

For more weather and updates, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:14 AM | Comment

Wake today for Newport soldier killed in Iraq

The wake for Sgt. Michael Weidemann, the 23-year-old Newport soldier killed in Iraq last week, is scheduled for today.

Weidemann's body was returned to his family earlier in the week. Visiting hours for the 2001 Rogers High School graduate are scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport.

Weidemann's funeral will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 324 East Main Rd., Portsmouth. Burial will follow on the church grounds.

Weidemann was killed last Tuesday while on patrol in the Anbar Province west of Baghdad when his armored vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.

He was serving his second tour in Iraq for Army's 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:00 AM | Comment

November 8, 2006

Defense Dept. IDs remains of 3 area WWII soldiers

The remains of three area soldiers lost in action 63 years ago have been identified, the Department of Defense announced today.

The bodies of Lt. Robert H. Miller, of Providence, Lt. Robert L. Hale, of Newtonville, Mass., and Staff Sgt. Joseph A. Berube, of Fall River, Mass, have been returned to their families for burial with full military honors, the department said.

The government reports that on Oct. 24, 1943, the men were aboard a B-25D-1 Mitchell bomber that departed from a New Guinea air field on a bombing run to Rabaul. The plane was attacked by Japanese fighter aircraft along the way.

Other American forces reported seeing the B-25 crash near a plantation at Kabanga Point.

Soon after the end of World War II, Australian War Graves search teams recovered some of the crew's remains from the crash site, but technology at the time made their identifications impossible. The remains were ultimately buried at the Manila American Military Cemetery in the Philippines.

But investigation teams returned to the area in recent years and exhumed the remains in 2004. Using a variety of techniques, including DNA testing and witness interviews, the men were subsequently identified, the Department of Defense said.

The three area men have already been buried near their families in the United States.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:29 PM | Comment

Carcieri says he's just happy to have survived

PROVIDENCE -- In his first post-election press conference, a relieved Governor Carcieri said: "A win is a win," no matter how close it is.

The Republican governor won a second term by a 51-49 percent margin, edging past Democratic Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty yesterday. Fogarty lagged him by fewer than 8,000 votes in a race in which more than 380,000 votes were cast.

"When somebody wins the Super Bowl, everybody forgets whether they won by one point or 31," Carcieri said in a news conference in the State Room.

In fact, given the widespread national anti-Republican sentiment, Carcieri said, "It's a wonder we survived."

"The message I take from it is, we're still here," he said.

One floor down in the lieutenant governor's office, Fogarty met one-on-one with reporters as they left the State Room.

He said he was proud to have come so close to defeating a governor with such high approval ratings he was seen as "invincible."

Fogarty dressed down a bit -- he wore loafers and no jacket or tie -- but said he had already conducted plenty of business, meeting with staff this morning to talk about closing down the campaign office and starting the transition process for the newly elected lieutenant governor, state Sen. Elizabeth H. Roberts.

Fogarty noted that this was the first time he's lost an election -- he served eight years in the state Senate and two four-year terms as lieutenant governor. He said he would like to run for office again, but didn't say when or for what.

"I'm not running for president," he said, but declined to rule out anything else.

-- Journal staff writer Elizabeth Gudrais

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:14 PM | Comment

Update: Napolitano widens his lead to 63 votes for Cranston mayor

CRANSTON – Republican Allan W. Fung's chances to succeed Mayor Stephen P. Laffey grew more slim today, after a manual count of 11 ballots not counted by machine Tuesday increased Democrat Michael T. Napolitano's lead to 63 votes.

The initial count had Napolitano, a former Municipal Court judge, with 16,099 votes and Fung had 16,041, a margin of 58 votes.

Seventy three provisional ballots will be counted on Friday by the state Board of Elections, according to the Cranston Board of Canvassers, which disqualified 81 other provisional ballots at a 3 1/2-hour meeting this afternoon.

To win, Fung would have to receive at least 69 of the 73 votes. Either way, his campaign plans to request a recount of every ballot.

If the provisional ballots don’t tip the election his way, Fung said this morning that he would seek a recount.

“I’m very proud of the race that I’ve run,” he said. “It is a very close race, the closest in memory, and I feel obligated to the people who voted for me to make sure that every vote has been counted. … I want to make sure that all the votes are certified correctly, and I will seek to do this in the most efficient manner so that the city can move on in a speedy fashion.”

People vote with provisional ballots if they've gone to the polls on Election Day and don't show up as registered, even though they say they are, or if some question about their right to vote exists, DeLorenzo said.

Election results only become official after the local Board of Canvassers certify them.

That won't happen for at least a week. Candidates in close races such as this one have until the close of business next Tuesday to request a recount, DeLorenzo said. The board then waits until that process is completed before certifying the election.

See related story

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson, with reports from Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:45 PM | Comment

Voters reject spending for restoration of Fort Adams

Ballot Question 7, which would have provided $4 million for restoration of the historic fort at Fort Adams State Park in Newport and a new building at the site, failed in yesterday’s election, according to the unofficial election results compiled by the state Board of Elections.

The issue was too close to call at deadline last night, with 51 percent rejecting and 49 percent favoring the question. In the end, 183,373 voters – 50.57 percent of them – rejected the question, and 179,233 – or 49.43 percent of voters – favored the project.

Read a related story about the proposed project.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 2:22 PM | Comment

Tonight's high school soccer playoff games postponed

Six boys soccer playoff games and two girls soccer playoff games have been postponed tonight due to weather.
All of the postponed games will be made up tomorrow. The schedule:
Division I boys semifinals at Hendricken: Barrington vs. Hope, 5 p.m.; Mt. Hope vs. La Salle, 7 p.m.
Division II boys semifinals at Cranston Stadium: Pilgrim vs. Central, 5 p.m.; Cranston East vs. Tiverton, 7 p.m.m
Division III boys semifinals at La Salle: Prout vs. North Smithfield, 5 p.m.; Lincoln vs. West Warwick, 7 p.m.
Division IV girls semifinals at Portsmouth: Central Falls vs. Tolman, 5 p.m.; Shea vs. Rogers, 7 p.m.

Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:34 PM | Comment

Whitehouse thanks voters during Arcade stroll / Audio

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Whitehouse greets Steve Berenback, center, and Pete Riefler, both of Barrington, during his visit to the Arcade, built in 1828, and considered the prototype for an indoor shopping mall.

PROVIDENCE -- U.S. Senator-elect Sheldon Whitehouse strolled through the Arcade in downtown Providence early this afternoon, giving hugs and handshakes to many surprised supporters on their lunch breaks.

"I just came by to say how much I appreciate it," Whitehouse said inside Ocean Coffee Roasters to one woman as she put sugar in her coffee. "Keep praying for me. We've got a lot of work to do."

The Democrat who unseated Republican U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee yesterday was flanked by a horde of media as he walked through the historic mall. The post-victory Arcade appearance has become a tradition for Rhode Island politicians from both parties.

Whitehouse's first stop was Le Greque, a small Greek eatery.

"Congratulations," shop owner Steve Stamatis said to Whitehouse as they clasped hands across the counter.

"Whitehouse is a customer of mine," Stamatis said later. "He comes here to eat falafels."

Whitehouse briefly addressed the media as he arrived.

"I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that we have Montana and Virginia sewed up, because if we do then it really is a new day with a change of leadership," he said of the two states too close to call in the Democrats' quest to gain a majority in the U.S. Senate.

Audio: Listen to Whitehouse at the Arcade.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Whitehouse said that even if Democrats don't take the Senate, the dynamics have changed in the Congress with the Democratic takeover in the House of Representatives.

"I think now that the Democrats have actually a seat of power in Washington, they [Republicans] have to go back to negotiating like normal people again, and that that will be good for America, we’ll move toward the middle," he said.

Whitehouse's march through the Arcade lasted about 15 minutes.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:11 PM | Comment

Accused rapist from R.I. caught in New Hampshire

PLAISTOW, N.H. -- An accused rapist from Rhode Island, who was featured on the Massachusetts Most Wanted list, has been caught in the southern New Hampshire town of Kingston and sent back to the Bay State for trial.

Richard Vitiello, whose last known address was in Lincoln, R.I., was arrested by Kingston Police last Friday and held in the Rockingham County jail over the weekend.

He was arraigned in Plaistow District Court on Monday and agreed to return to Massachusetts to face charges of kidnapping, rape, indecent assault and battery and unarmed robbery.

The police allege that Vitiello lured a woman he met in Rhode Island to his family's auto salvage business in Blackstone, Mass., two months ago, promising her a job interview. But once he was alone with her, he tied her up, raped her and stole her money, authorities said.

Police searching for him had no luck until posting his photo on the Massachusetts Most Wanted Web site. A few days later, they got a call saying he was working at a truck and auto salvage business in Kingston. He was arrested without incident.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:59 AM | Comment

Mass. liquor dealers cheer defeat of wine sales in food stores

Liquor-store owners in Massachusetts and Rhode Island cheered yesterday's defeat of a referendum that would have allowed wine sales at food stores. The Bay State's voters, they said, understood the safety concerns raised by the liquor-store industry during one of the most expensive advertising campaigns in the Massachusetts' history. The members of the United Independent Liquor Retailers of Rhode Island watched the battle for months, said director Tom Saccoccia. Passage in the Bay State would have increased competition for liquor stores in Rhode Island's border towns.

-- Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi

Posted by Sheila Lennon at 11:58 AM | Comment

Senator-elect Whitehouse plans lunchtime thank-you at Arcade

PROVIDENCE – The state’s new Democratic senator, Sheldon Whitehouse, expects to head to the Arcade in downtown Providence at noon today to shake hands and thank people for their support.

He may be there a little after noon, but they’re shooting for that time, spokeswoman Alex Swartsel said this morning.

Whitehouse has played it low-key today, mostly spending time with his family, which he expects to do most of the day, Swartsel said. He has not made any public appearances yet this morning, she said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Sheila Lennon at 11:40 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

Whitehouse victory; casino defeat lead the newspaper

Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 10:36 AM | Comment

About 1,000 Providence customers lose power

PROVIDENCE – The 846 East Side customers who lost electrical power last night woke up this morning with lights, televisions and radios working again, some of them baffled as to why there was a power failure during what was a calm rain at that point.

The Hope Street region lost power because an insulator on the line broke, causing a wire to fall, National Grid spokesman David Graves said this morning.

When that wire came down at 9:58 p.m., 123 customers lost power. Their power was restored at 10:37 p.m., Graves said.

However, as the company worked to make repairs on the line, they had to disconnect service for other customers, Graves said. Consequently, 260 customers lost their power at 10:18 p.m., and 463 customers lost their power at 10:34 p.m. Power to all of those customers was restored by 11:35 p.m., Graves said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 9:51 AM | Comment

Jury deliberates in Cape Cod murder trial

BARNSTABLE, Mass. -- Jurors were set to resume deliberations today in the trial of a former trash collector accused of raping and killing fashion writer Christa Worthington.

Christopher McCowen, 34, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated rape and aggravated battery in the January 2002 murder of Worthington, 46, who was fatally stabbed in her Truro home.

Jurors got the case yesterday, deliberating for about four hours before going home for the day without reaching a verdict.

Prosecutors cited DNA evidence linking McCowen to the crime and said he gave eight different versions of the events leading up to the killing. McCowen eventually told police he had consensual sex with Worthington. He admitted beating her, but said his friend, Jeremy Frazier, killed her. Frazier was not charged.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:33 AM | Comment

Traffic: Accident on Route 10, flooding possible later

PROVIDENCE -- The state's Traffic Management Center is reporting an accident on Route 10 North near Union Ave. in Providence that is affecting travel on the left side of the road.

Fog this morning and wet weather, especially later today, could cause problems for travelers, as the National Weather Service is warning of the potential for flooding as heavy rain moves into the region.

For more traffic information, see the state Department of Transportation's Web site.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:10 AM | Comment

Heavy rain moving into region, flooding possible

PROVIDENCE -- A low pressure area is moving up the coast and should drop heavy rain onto southern New England this afternoon and evening with the possibility of thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.

Rainfall of one to three inches through tonight could cause problems on roads and flooding in low areas, small creeks and streams.

The high temperature tonight should reach 59 degrees.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:01 AM | Comment

November 7, 2006

NBC TV posts a staffer in Rhode Island

The Rhode Island senatorial race between Republican Lincoln Chafee and Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse has attracted national attention, enough so that at least one network has sent a correspondent to the state.

NBC correspondent Rehema Ellis reported from Rhode Island on Monday night's NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, saying the closeness of the contest reflects the problems even moderate Republican incumbents are having this year.

Edwin Hart, news director for ABC affiliate Channel 6, said the network has asked for footage of Whitehouse and Chafee to use as part of its national coverage.

All three TV stations and news/talk radio stations, WHJJ-AM and WPRO-AM, plan extensive local coverage this evening.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:40 PM | Comment

Republicans say Democrats distributed illegal fliers

A complaint was filed with the state Board of Elections this afternoon by state GOP chairwoman Patricia Morgan, over “illegal’’ and “misleading’’ flyers Democrats were handing out at polling places.

Under the heading, “Official Election Ballot,’’ the flyers list the names of Democratic candidates only. Morgan sought a cease and desist order.

Elections board officials were unavailable for comment, but shortly after 5:15 p.m., state Democratic party chairman William Lynch said the board met and dismissed the complaint.

After denying that the state Democratic party had paid for the flyers seen in Providence and North Providence, he belittled the complaint as “a ridiculous, frivolous, pathetic, desparate last-minute attempt by the Chafee campaign to do anything that might distract people and suppress voter turnout.’’

“There is no law against it,’’ he said, “just an attempt to get the press and radio talking about something different instead of why we need to change the direction of the U.S. Senate.

-- Katherine Gregg, Journal staff writer

In her letter of complaint to Thomas Iannitti, acting chairman of the state elections board, Morgan wrote: “These campaign flyers illegally mislead voters and violate’’ state and federal law by failing to disclose that they were paid for by the Rhode Island Democratic party.’’

“Additionally,’’ she argued, the mock ballots “are fully marked with the arrow completely filled in for each Democratic party candidate, a criminal violation and a felony.’’

U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee’s campaign expressed outrage at “at these tactics’’ and also called upon the Democrats “to cease this fraudulent activity. The action is illegal because there is no disclaimer informing recipients who has paid for the flyers. In addition, the campaign is concerned about the fact that the flyers clearly instruct voters how to cast their votes."

Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:31 PM | Comment

Rain on the way; Late voters could get wet

The National Weather Service says there is a 30 percent chance that it will rain before the polls close at 9 p.m.

Later in the night, the chance of rain will increase to 90 percent with a threat of localized flooding around the region.

Up to 3 inches of rain is possible across southern New England, the Weather Service says.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 5:00 PM | Comment

Election: What to do if the voting machine breaks

If a voting machine malfunctions, polling employees are instructed to place the completed ballots into a locked part of the big blue boxes that take the ballots.

Once the machine is up and running again, poll workers stop new voting for the time it takes to feed those waiting ballots through the counter, said Robert Kando, executive director of the state Board of Elections.

.Voters who don’t like the idea of leaving their ballots in that provisional area can either wait until the machines are functioning again or turn their ballots back in and return later to feed them through the counter, Kando said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:15 PM | Comment

Funeral arrangements set for Sgt. Weidemann

The body of Sgt. Michael Weidemann, who was killed in Iraq, will return to Rhode Island Wednesday.

His wake will be Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport.

His funeral will be Friday at 2 p.m. at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 324 East Main Rd., Portsmouth. Burial will follow on the church grounds.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 4:14 PM | Comment

Election: There are about 14,000 absentee ballots to count

PROVIDENCE – In the cavernous basement of the state Board of Elections office on Branch Avenue, nine workers early this afternoon were feeding absentee and emergency ballots through the counting machines.

They’re not actually counting the votes yet, though, according to Board of Elections Executive Director Robert Kando. They’re merely processing the ballots so they’re ready to press the buttons that count votes once the polls close at 9 p.m.

Unlike the way voters must feed their ballots one page at a time through the machines at the polling locations, the Board of Elections employees can feed piles of absentee ballots through high-speed counters.

Early this afternoon, there were probably 14,000 absentee ballots in the building, Kando said. Between 16,000 and 17,000 people have requested absentee ballots this year, he said.

The approximately 14,000 returned absentee ballots are “at the high end of normal,” Kando said.

As the Board of Elections releases vote totals tonight, absentee votes will be included -- and stated as a separate category for each precinct.

-- Journal staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 4:00 PM | Comment

Election: One frustrated voter says he got the runaround

Providence resident Jeff Kozzi, of 687 Charles St., is frustrated.

He says his polling place was changed and he wasn't told.

Kozzi went to vote this morning at the same place where he says he has been voting for about 10 years – the DaVinci Center in Ward 4, at 470 Charles St. But today, poll workers told him he’s not registered to vote there, he said.

“And I received no notification, which is the big thing,” he said.

Poll workers at DaVinci sent him over to Windmill Street School, at 110 Paul St., but he stopped at the state Board of Elections office on Branch Avenue first to voice his frustration.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:55 PM | Comment

Journal to appeal decision on jury questionnaires

The Providence Journal is appealing a Superior Court judge's decision to block the public from seeing questionnaires that prospective jurors filled out in The Station nightclub fire case, Journal lawyer Kristin E. Rodgers said today.

The questionnaires were part of the process in selecting a jury to hear involuntary manslaughter charges against nightclub co-owner Michael A. Derderian. The case halted before a jury was picked when Derderian and his brother, Jeffrey A. Derderian, the nightclub's other owner, agreed to plead no contest to the charges against them.

On Oct. 12, Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. granted The Journal's request to make blank questionnaires public, but denied the newspaper's request for the answers given by 421 prospective jurors. Darigan said that making the answers public would make it difficult to seat juries in future cases.

The Journal filed its notice of appeal in Kent County Superior Court. The appeal will be docketed by the Rhode Island Supreme Court, which will announce a schedule for hearing the matter.

-- Journal staff writer Paul Parker

Posted by Kate Bramson at 3:13 PM | Comment

Election: Traffic heavy, some problems at Providence polls / Photo

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
First-time voter Liliana Tavarez of Providence heads for the voting booth today at the Roger Williams Park Casino in the city's 8th Ward.

PROVIDENCE -- The city of Providence has had "quite a few" problems with voting machines today, but the problems are being addressed quickly, according to the executive secretary for the city's Board of Canvassers.

Voters in Providence are filling out three ballots each, and the machines can jam if voters feed those ballots into the machines too quickly, according to Laurence K. Flynn, executive secretary.

But, he said, the state Board of Elections, which maintains the machines, has been "readily available" to fix any jammed machines.

"We've had little problems here and there," Flynn said. "We put those fires out, I hope."

Some Providence voters this morning said it took about 10 minutes to fill out the ballots, which include 15 referendum questions, as well as City Council races and state issues.

Turnout has been heavy in parts of the city, according to Flynn.

"We've appealed to voters to be patient -- it's going to take a little more time to vote -- and to try to be prepared when they get here."

Need to review your ballot before you head to the polls? The Secretary of State's Web site lets you search for your polling place, and the ballot you will see when you get there, via its online Voter Information Center.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:11 PM | Comment

One final day for Chafee and Whitehouse

U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee and challenger Sheldon Whitehouse were just getting started when they cast their ballots this morning.

Both candidates later greeted voters in Cranston. Whitehouse stopped by Hall Manor in Cranston, where he talked to several voters.

Chafee, a former mayor in Warwick, stopped by the Potowomut School in Warwick, where voters were casting ballots.

During a stop at his headquarters on Post Road, Warwick, Chafee greeted campaign workers. Among the volunteers was Patrick Nee, a financial adviser and son of George Nee, secretary treasurer of the AFL-CIO, which endorsed Whitehouse.

This afternoon, Whitehouse, his wife, Sandra; Sen. Jack Reed and Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline stopped at Angelo's on Providence's Federal Hill for some food and last-minute politicking.

-- With reports from Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst, staff writer Mark Arsenault and photographer Andrew Dickerman

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:58 PM | Comment

Woonsocket man charged in fatal N. Smithfield accident

NORTH SMITHFIELD -- A Woonsocket man has been charged with driving to endanger and leaving the scene of an accident that killed a Warwick man early today.

Norman Soullier, 29, was arrested after he went to police headquarters at 4:30 a.m., more than three hours after the 1:14 a.m. accident on Victory Highway at Northgate Road, according to the North Smithfield Police Department.

Soullier was charged with driving to endanger, death resulting; and leaving the scene of an accident, death resulting. He was arraigned, and bail was set at $100,000 with surety, according to the police.

Killed in the accident was James Dube, 21, whose listed address is Warwick, but who was living in North Smithfield and had attended public schools in North Smithfield, according to the police.

When the police arrived at the accident scene, Dube was trapped in his car. He had to be extricated and was taken to Landmark Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The police say they found the pickup truck Soullier had been driving, abandoned, about 1,000 feet away from Dube's Honda Accord on Victory Highway.

The police determined that Dube had been driving south on Victory Highway when Soullier's truck, driving north, struck Dube's car.

After finding the truck, the police had searched the immediate area for its driver and also went to "a couple locations" where they believed the driver might have gone, according to North Smithfield Police Capt. Denis Smith. Soullier turned himself in shortly after the police talked to somebody at one of those locations.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:06 PM | Comment

Election: Busy polls in North Kingstown

NORTH KINGSTOWN - Hundreds of voters were turning out this morning in North Kingstown, causing long lines and full parking lots.

In District 9, where voters cast ballots at Quidnessett Elementary School, more than 300 people had voted by 11 a.m. Active polls there meant added traffic for the school's book fair, too.

Busy polls were also visible at Davisville Elementary School this morning. Election officials said they haven't seen this much early morning activity in years.

Posted by Pam Cotter at 11:36 AM | Comment

Election: Voting machine problem in West Warwick

WEST WARWICK – Mechanical problems with some of the voting machines in West Warwick today have caused some delays.

The Msgr. DeAngelis Manor II polling place, at 845 Wakefield St., opened sometime after its scheduled 7 a.m. opening time because a voting machine wasn’t operating properly, town clerk David Clayton said today.

The problem there, and at two other polling places, has been corrected, Clayton said. Those other locations were the Elk’s Home, at 60 Clyde St., and Evelyn’s Villa, at 272 Cowesett Ave., Clayton said.

The one technician who handles West Warwick and part of Warwick has been “very busy” today, Clayton said. The state Board of Elections oversees the technicians who work on such problems, according to the town clerk.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 11:20 AM | Comment

Election: 'Excellent' turnout in Richmond

RICHMOND -- At the small District 2 poll at the Alton Fire Station, the line of voters stretched from the door to the table shortly after 9 this morning, and moderator Dennis McGinity said it's been that way since the poll opened.

While the line actually totaled between 15 and 20 voters at a time, McGinity said he had to take steps to manage the flow of voters picking up their ballots so the line would not end up stretching out the door.

McGinity described the turnout as "excellent."

It's "way ahead" of the turnout for the primary, he said.

By 9:25 a.m., 190 voters had cast ballots.

The parking lot was full to overflowing at about 9:30 a.m., and the same was true of the parking lots at the two other polling places in town.

--- Andrea Panciera

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:56 AM | Comment

Election: Photos / Whitehouse, Chafee voting

Journal photos Bill Murphy (left) and Andrew Dickerman (right)

Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse, left, casts his vote this morning at Temple Beth-El in Providence, while incumbent Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee, right, studies the ballot before voting at the Metcalf Elementary School in Exeter. Both candidates had busy days of campaigning planned after casting their ballots.

Posted by Jack Perry at 9:47 AM | Comment

Election: Whitehouse casts vote

U.S. Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse cast his vote at Temple Beth-
El on the East Side of Providence at about 7:30 this morning, according to Whitehouse volunteer Jeffrey Padwa.

A steady stream of voters was heading to the polling place at 70 Orchard Avenue to cast ballots this morning. In some cases, it was taking about 10 minutes to fill out the ballots, but there were no lines as of about 8 a.m.

Voters, in interviews, noted the importance of the Senate race and the casino ballot questions.

-- Journal staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:48 AM | Comment

Election: Mass. voters face historic choice

BOSTON -- Massachusetts voters had a historic choice before them today as they voted in an election that was bound to result in either the first black, female or independent governor in the state's 218-year history.

Democrat Deval Patrick, the favorite heading into Election Day, closed out his 19-month campaign as he started it, with a preacher's call for faith in his pledge to create a community in which the rich and poor feel a stake in each other's lives.

Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, scrapping to extend a 16-year Republican grip on the Corner Office, conceded she was behind, but argued she had the best plan for lowering the high cost of living in Massachusetts.

The other two candidates for governor, independent Christy Mihos and Grace Ross of the Green-Rainbow Party, reveled in perhaps their final chance in the spotlight, with Mihos - a Cape Cod convenience store owner - signing autographs, and Ross - a social activist from Worcester - making a final pitch for her social agenda.

-- The Associated Press

Patrick told a crowd of several thousand last night at a rally in West Roxbury, "We have run a campaign that isn't about building me up by tearing anybody else down. I'm not trying to frighten anyone into voting for me. We are offering a positive vision for a common future."

Before a decidely Democrat-leaning crowd at the Harry Truman Society Rally, Healey said, "If we can make it so that every small business could add just one job, then we could have full employment here in Massachusetts."

Mihos, a former Republican, addressing the rally, said, "I've never won a poll but I've never lost an election."

Ross told the crowd, "I will promise you to tell you the truth. ...And I will always remember the roofs over our head, the paycheck in our hands and all our children."

In Northampton yesterday morning, voter Bob Riddle said he appreciated that this election would bring either the first elected female governor if Healey were elected or the first black governor in Patrick.

"A gay, black woman would be a great candidate for governor," said Riddle, 62, a museum worker.

Patrick, vying to be only the second black governor in the country, planned to vote in his hometown of Milton before heading into Boston for an election-night rally.

Democrats hoped they would celebrate not only his victory, but also a party clean sweep of the Senate seat held by Edward M. Kennedy, all 10 House seats, as well as each of the six constitutional officers, from governor and attorney general through state auditor.

Healey, who along with Ross was campaigning to be the first female governor, was scheduled to vote in Beverly before visiting several polling places and then camping out at the Sheraton Boston Hotel to await the results.

A final WHDH-TV/Suffolk University poll showed Patrick leading Healey 53 percent to 31 percent among 400 likely voters. Mihos was third at 6 percent and Ross trailed the pack at 2 percent. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Healey, 46, was a two-time loser for state representative in Beverly before Mitt Romney, then a Republican candidate for governor, tapped her to be his running mate in 2002. Romney decided last year against seeking a second term as governor and has been laying the groundwork for a possible presidential run in 2008.

As Romney has sought support from conservatives who would be critical in a primary campaign, he and Healey have split over abortion rights, emergency contraception, stem-cell research and civil unions for gay couples.

Nonetheless, Healey denied trying to minimize her ties to the governor over the course of her campaign. Instead, she focused on Patrick and accused him of being soft on crime, supportive of tax increases and unwilling to stand up to his fellow Democrats if they extended their grasp over the Legislature to the Gov.'s Office for the first time since Michael S. Dukakis left the Statehouse in 1991.

A multimillionaire, Healey spent $9.4 million of her own money on her campaign, primarily for hard-hitting campaign commercials, including one telling Patrick he should be "ashamed" for seeking parole for, and complimenting the writing of, a convicted rapist who argued he was wrongly convicted. A subsequent DNA test confirmed the man's guilt.

Patrick, 50, made his first run for political office after a career working for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, two law firms, the Justice Department under President Clinton, as well as two stints in the corporate world as counsel to both Texaco Inc. and The Coca-Cola Co.

The Democrat waged an unorthodox campaign, eschewing large-money supporters in favor of meeting with community leaders and establishing a broad-based grass roots organization.

Patrick not only won his party's endorsement in June, but in September, he beat Attorney General Tom Reilly - a Democratic veteran - and Boston businessman Chris Gabrieli - a venture capitalist who pumped $9.725 million into his campaign.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:35 AM | Comment

Traffic: Accident on 195 West

There’s at least one accident out there as you navigate your morning commute today. Around 7:15 a.m., an accident was affecting the right shoulder of Route 195 West in East Providence, near Exit 6.

For other traffic needs, check out the state roadways, via the Department of Transportation's online traffic offerings.

You can find any traffic alerts describing other accidents here, browse traffic cams to see real-time photos of the highways and check out the DOT’s road construction schedule here.

Also, check out congestion mapping -- i.e., how heavy the traffic is -- here.

To report a traffic incident, call the Transportation Management Center at (401) 222-5826 and choose option #2.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:37 AM | Comment

Election: Chafee joins long line at polls

EXETER – Incumbent U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee was casting his vote at 7:23 a.m. today at the Metcalf Elementary School at 30 Nooseneck Rd., as his wife was slipping her completed ballot into the voting machine.

This polling spot opened at 7 a.m., with about two dozen people lined up to vote.

The first person who was waiting in that line knows Chafee personally. Jay Sheehan, 40, a shipwright, lives in a house he rents on the Chafee farm here in Exeter.

Outside the polling place, a coffee mascot was getting lots of attention. A woman dressed as a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee cup held a sign announcing in words and symbols that Rhode Island voters run on Dunkin Donuts. The coffee cup even has an escort, a man holding a sign that says Rhode Islanders vote and Dunkin’ Donuts #1.

We hear there are lots of local questions on the ballot, so plan accordingly if you're voting down here.

-- With reports from Journal political columnist M. Charles Bakst

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:30 AM | Comment

Warm today with a chance of rain

PROVIDENCE – If you’re planning to vote after work today – or work outside the polls this afternoon, bring an umbrella.

We’ve got a 30 percent chance of rain today, mainly after 3 p.m.

Our mostly cloudy day should see a high of 59.

We’ve got rain on the horizon through Thursday. Then, Friday and Saturday look like they’ll be bright sunny days.

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:23 AM | Comment

Election: Where will Chafee, Whitehouse be today?

In one of the most-watched U.S. Senate races this political season, incumbent Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee and his Democratic challenger, Sheldon Whitehouse, plan to vote early today and then return to the campaign trail.

They’ll keep at it until late tonight, when they both plan to catch up with their supporters and party loyalists at election receptions.

Chafee announced yesterday that he plans to vote with his wife, Stephanie, at 7 a.m. in Exeter, in the cafeteria of the Metcalf School, at 30 Nooseneck Rd. Whitehouse said he plans to vote at 7:30 a.m. at Temple Beth-El, at 70 Orchard Ave. in Providence.

Chafee’s campaign announced two anticipated stops during voting hours today but stressed that the times are approximate. They plan to be in Warwick at 8:30 a.m. at the Potowomut Elementary School, 225 Potowomut Rd., and in Cranston at 11:30 a.m. at the George J. Peters School, 15 Mayberry St.

Whitehouse’s campaign said last night they had not yet finalized his schedule for today.

Both candidates know where their election parties will be. Chafee plans to join supporters after polls close at 9 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. Whitehouse expects to join his followers at the Providence Biltmore hotel.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson, with reports from Journal staff writers Scott MacKay and Mark Arsenault

Posted by Kate Bramson at 7:21 AM | Comment

Election: How we'll cover it today

PROVIDENCE -- Projo.com will bring you daylong -- and into the night -- coverage of this Election Day, from key candidates casting their votes, to turnout at the polls, to the final results and their impact.

We'll begin our reports in our 7to7blog.

After 7 p.m., we'll shift to coverage via our Political Scene blog, renamed Election Day blog, but, for you bookmarkers out there, with the same URL.

After 9 p.m., we'll post results of top races as soon as the numbers start showing at the state Board of Elections, from our staffers at the scene.

All results of all statewide and local races will be posted automatically via our home page as soon as they become available from the state.

We'll continue to blog news reports from post-election venues, add photos and ask for your reactions.

We hope you'll come back later -- and stay with us for as long as it takes!

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 7:20 AM | Comment

November 6, 2006

New immigration judge appointed

An attorney who has worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island for a decade has been appointed to the post of U.S. immigration judge, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente announced today.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin E. Feder will be assigned to the Boston Immigration Court, where she will hear a variety of immigration-related cases, including the removal of criminal undocumented workers and requests for political asylum, according to Corrente’s office.

Feder will begin her new job this month. She’ll join more than 200 immigration judges in 53 immigration courts throughout the country, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Providence.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 6:58 PM | Comment

Photo: Shifting from school to polling place

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Jo-Ann Henley and Larry Peltier, of the South Kingstown School Maintenance Department, move a voting booth into place in the gymnasium of the Curtis Corner Middle School this afternoon, as the school gets ready to serve as a polling place tomorrow, Election Day.

There’s no school in public schools around Rhode Island tomorrow, a longstanding tradition in a state where many schools double as polls. This year, public schools were closed for Primary Day in September for the first time, the result of a new state law.

Check polling places and view sample ballots in your town, by searching the Secretary of State's Voter Information Center.

Posted by Andrea Panciera at 5:30 PM | Comment

Developer sues Cranston City Council

CRANSTON -- An industrial developer has filed a complaint in Superior Court accusing the City Council of overstepping its legal authority in its efforts to block construction of a controversial concrete batching plant.

The council has been fighting the project, slated for Marine Drive, since it was approved by the city's Building Department in March.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Cullion Concrete Corp., says council members have usurped the authority of the Zoning Board of Review.

-- Journal staff writer Benjamin N. Gedan

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:58 PM | Comment

Judge refuses to set aside Lynch convictions

PROVIDENCE -- A judge refused today to acquit former City Councilman Gerald R. Lynch of charges he sexually assaulted a teenage boy who worked in his Pawtucket flower shop 20 years ago.

The ruling by Judge Edward C. Clifton came a week after a jury found Lynch guilty of the charges, all of which involved oral sex.

It cleared the way for the next stage of the proceedings -- a motion for a new trial. The motion is scheduled to be heard on Nov. 16.

Lynch, 62, of 23 Morra Way, East Providence, was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault following an 8-day trial in Superior Court. He faces 10 years to life in prison as a result of the conviction, which defense lawyers, C. Leonard O’Brien and Lise J. Gescheidt are expected to appeal if their motion for a new trial is denied.

In court this morning, Gescheidt tried to persuade Judge Clifton to grant a defense motion to acquit Lynch, arguing that the prosecution had failed to prove that force was used in any of the sexual acts that Lynch had performed on the victim.

The motion, if granted, would have had the effect of setting the jury verdict aside.

But Clifton said the testimony showed that force was used, even though the victim never physically resisted. At the time the sex acts occurred, Lynch was bigger and stronger than the victim, a boy between 14 and 15, and the victim regard him as a “father figure,” Clifton said.

On one occasion, Clifton said, the testimony showed that Lynch put his hands on the victim’s shoulders, forced him to his knees and had him perform fellatio.

On the other three occasions, the judge said, the testimony showed Lynch grabbed the victim, placed him on the raised platform holding the toilet used by flower shop employees, and forced him to submit to oral sex.

The sexual assaults took place between 1983 and 1985. Lynch, former director of the East Providence Boys and Girls Club, remains free on $10,000 cash bail ($100,000 bail with surety)..

Clifton doubled the amount of bail and tacked a number of new conditions onto the terms of Lynch’s release after a review last week determined he was ineligible for home confinement.

Posted by Peter Phipps at 1:20 PM | Comment

Update: Teen gets life for murder over hair-braiding debt

PROVIDENCE – Phearin Rot, 15, the second-youngest murder defendant in Rhode Island in more than a century, was sentenced today to life in prison after pleading guilty to killing a fellow teen over a debt for hair braiding.

In a deal with prosecutors, Rot pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and carrying a pistol without a license in the slaying of Jamont Richardson, 14, in Providence in June 2005 because of a dispute over the $10 debt.

Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause also sentenced Rot to a 10-year suspended sentence with probation, which will be served consecutively after the life sentence.

The state agreed to dismiss one of the three counts Rot was facing. That charge – the unlawful discharge of a firearm, with death resulting – also carried a life sentence.

About two dozen members of Richardson’s family sat in court today as Krause accepted the plea deal and sentenced Rot. Both his mother and aunt presented victim-impact statements to the court: his aunt read both statements.

“He was a loving, bright, precious young boy,” Barbara Mitchell, read for the boy’s mother, Andrea Mitchell. “He was the centerpiece of my family. He held us all together. … I hope the defendant has learned that violence is not the answer.”

For Richardson’s mother, Barbara Mitchell spoke of how Rot’s actions have destroyed her whole family. Each week, his aunt said, the family prays in Candace Park.

“I hope this sends a message to young people to leave the guns alone because life is precious,” Richardson’s mother said through his aunt.

Rot was returned to the Adult Correctional Institutions, where he has been held without bail. He will be eligible for parole after serving at least 20 years.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:42 PM | Comment

Venture capital funding down 11 percent

BOSTON -- It's getting a little tougher in New England for entrepreneurs seeking venture capital money to bring their ideas to market.

Venture capital funding in the region fell nearly 11 percent in the third quarter compared with the same period a year earlier.

According to a report from the firm PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association, venture capital in the third quarter was $578 million in New England. That's the total for 87 deals with an average deal size of nearly $7 million.

Thirty-nine percent of the funding went to biotechnology ventures for a total of $223 million. Software ventures brought in $85 million.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:09 PM | Comment

Group urges women to forget excuses and vote

PROVIDENCE -- “No excuses” was the message from a group of female political leaders today as they urged women to head to the polls tomorrow and cast a ballot.

As part of its last-minute plea to female voters, the Rhode Island Women’s Fund created a fake sample ballot with 10 common excuses from women and why they aren’t valid.

“I have two jobs and I can’t take time out of work to go vote,” reads one.

The answer to that excuse: lawmakers are the ones who set the minimum wage, set what is covered by health insurance and set workplace safety standards.

-- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz

Another excuse: “I have to help my kids with their homework.”

Here the group pointed out that lawmakers approve state aid to schools and that some ballot questions deal with new school construction.

Jennifer Wood, chief of staff for the state Department of Education, encouraged mothers to bring their children along to the polls with them as a civics lesson.

“It all starts at home,” Wood said, “with the mother to say: `This is your homework today.’ ”

Ivette Luna, an organizer with the Ocean State Action Fund, said there are plenty of ways to find out where to vote, including going to the Secretary of State's Web site or just asking a neighbor.

“Sisters, let’s stand together,” Luna said. “Let’s not dream about the future. Let’s vote.”

Republican Secretary of State candidate Sue Stenhouse said, “It’s about women. It’s not about what you’re voting for. It’s about expressing your vote.”

State Sen. Elizabeth H. Roberts, a Democrat running for lieutenant governor, said that sometimes the people at the bottom of the ballot make the biggest decisions directly affecting our lives. She also noted that Rhode Island elects its statewide officeholders in presidential mid-term years.

See all 10 excuses.

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:03 PM | Comment

Gas prices down a penny this week

Gas prices across Rhode Island today are on average one penny cheaper than last week, according to a survey released this morning by AAA Southern New England.

The average price of regular unleaded gasoline is $2.17 per gallon at the self-serve pump. That's the lowest price since last December and down 11 cents from last year at this time, according to AAA.

And today's price marks declines in 13 or the last 14 weeks.

In today's sample, AAA found a range in prices from $2.12 to $2.23.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:54 AM | Comment

Chafee, Whitehouse on trail early today

It's going to be a long day on the campaign trail.

With all eyes on Rhode Island's U.S. Senate race and less than 24 hours left before polls open, both candidates were out with voters bright and early today.

Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee greeted workers at Amgen Inc. and GTECH in West Greenwich as they arrived for work at 7:45 a.m..

Chafee also plans to visit senior centers in South Kingtown and Middletown and spend the rest of the day campaigning outside grocery stores across the state, according to his spokesman Christopher Spina, who added that the Republican incumbent will probably be campaigning until 9 or 10 p.m.

"It's just like any other day," Spina said, joking.

Meanwhile, Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse started his day at 8 a.m. at a senior center in Coventry. He plans to visit several more senior centers today.

And he won't be in bed early either. Former president Bill Clinton is scheduled to speak at a Whitehouse rally in Warwick at 9 p.m.

"We're just tyring to talk to as many people as we can to make sure they come out to vote," Whitehouse spokeswoman Alex Swartsel said.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 9:35 AM | Comment

Download today's front page

Saddam's death sentence and Rhode Island's most average voter lead today's paper.

Download file

Posted by Peter Phipps at 9:30 AM | Comment

Clinton returning as R.I. Senate race tightens

PROVIDENCE -- Former President Bill Clinton plans to return to Rhode Island tonight on the eve of an election that could shift the balance of power in Washington.

Clinton spoke at a Democratic Party fundraiser in Providence last month. His wife, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, also spoke in Rhode Island last month on the behalf of Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse.

Clinton is scheduled to appear at 9 p.m. at a Whitehouse rally at the Community College of Rhode Island's Knight Campus.

Two polls released yesterday show the race tightening. The first poll, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, gives the incumbent Lincoln Chafee a narrow lead: 46 percent to 45 percent. The national pollster surveyed 625 registered voters by phone from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

And a separate Gallup poll gives Whitehouse a 3-point edge -- 48 percent to 45 percent. Gallup polled 880 registered voters by phone. Like Mason-Dixon, the margin of error is 4 points -- meaning that each of the results is within the margin of error and the leads are statistically insignificant.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:48 AM | Comment

Clear, crisp day to start week

The National Weather Service is calling for a clear, crisp day to start the week.

Today should be mostly sunny with a high near 57. There will be a calm west wind, the weather service says, of 7 to 10 mph.

But the winter-like temperatures should return tonight. The expected low overnight is 36.

And the weather for election day is supposed to be fair, with increasing clouds and slightly warmer temperatures with a high around 60.

For more weather information and regular updates, see projo.com/weather.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:00 AM | Comment

November 3, 2006

Charting a course for season's first freeze / Photo

Journal photo / Bob Thayer
Dinghys filled with rainwater and leaves sit on the shore at Haines Memorial Park in Barrington, waiting to be bailed out, put away for the season -- or perhaps for a thin sheet of ice to cover them up.

PROVIDENCE -- It's time to turn the heat on, switch to flannel sheets, break out the electric blanket.

It's going to be cold tonight, says the National Weather Service, which has issued a "freeze warning," which will be in effect from midnight to 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Temperatures are expected to be between 25 to 30 degrees -- the first freeze of the fall season for southeastern Rhode Island.

The weather service urges people to protect their plants, which may not survive the chilly temps.

What's on tap for the rest of this fall weekend? Check projo.com's weather page, for the latest local conditions and forecasts.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:27 PM | Comment

WPRI-TV poll: Carcieri maintains lead over Fogarty

A poll in the governor’s race released today shows Governor Carcieri leading Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty by 9 points.

Of voters polled, 50 percent supported Republican Carcieri, and 41 percent supported Democrat Fogarty. Those numbers include undecided respondents who said they were leaning toward one candidate or the other.

The poll, conducted Oct. 27 to 30 by Fleming & Associates for WPRI Channel 12/Eyewitness News, surveyed 400 registered voters likely to vote in Tuesday’s general election.

The results are virtually identical to the last poll from the same source.

That poll, conducted Oct. 11 to 14, found 50 percent for Carcieri and 42 percent for Fogarty. Pollster Joseph Fleming said the apparent one-point loss for Fogarty was “not at all significant,” given that the margin of error in each case was 5 percent.

The new results “basically show no change for either candidate,” Fleming said.

However, Fleming said it is significant that Carcieri has hit the magic number of 50 percent. “All the governor has to do is hold on to the vote he has right now,” he said.

-- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:27 PM | Comment

Brown's annual 'Sex Power God' party tonight

PROVIDENCE -- Brown University will host the controversial Sex Power God party tonight, an event that attracted national attention last year when Fox News aired video footage and telelvision host Bill O'Reilly labeled it "pure debauchery."

Sex Power God is scheduled from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Alumnae Hall. The annual event is hosted by the university's Queer Alliance.

Security for this year's party is expected to be tight. No bags or cameras will be allowed. Only Brown and RISD students who have been put on a guest list can enter, and then only with a photo ID.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:24 PM | Comment

Update: N. Providence woman accused of her newborn's murder

PROVIDENCE -- A North Providence woman was brought from the hospital to District Court this afternoon, where she was charged with the murder of her newborn child.

Julie Robat, 30, of Lori Drive, was released to the hospital after the brief court hearing. The judge ruled that upon her release from the hospital, she would be taken to North Providence police for processing and home confinement, pending the payment of $50,000 surety bail.

In a press conference after the court hearing, North Providence police detailed the events that led to Robat's arrest, which took place after three days of investigation and consultation with the Attorney General's Office.

Officials from Women and Infants Hospital contacted police at around 9:45 Monday morning after treating Robat for bleeding. Robat refused to admit she had recently given birth, police said today, but hospital officials were convinced that she had within the previous eight hours.

Police searched Robat's Lori Drive home, where they found a newborn girl's body in a garbage bag under the dryer in the basement -- a scene that North Providence Deputy Police Chief Paul Marino today described it as a "horrific."

It is unclear if the baby was born prematurely. Police today said it was in its third trimester but wouldn't be more specific. They said, however, that they believe the baby was born alive.

The medical examiner has yet to release a cause of death in the case.

Robat lives with her parents, Charles and Francine Robat, and two grown siblings.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from Journal staff writer Richard Dujardin

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:06 PM | Comment

Soldier's family plans burial with Army officials

The family of Sgt. Michael R. Weidemann, who was killed in action in Iraq on Tuesday, met with Rhode Island Army National Guard officials today to discuss burial arrangements.

Lt. Col. Denis Riel, public affairs officer, said that it was still unknown when the soldier's remains would arrive in the U.S. The family has yet to choose a funeral home, said Ambrose Miller, an uncle from South Kingstown who joined the soldier's grandmother in meeting with casualty assistance officers today.

Weidemann lived for a time with his grandmother in Middletown. His father lives out of state and his mother, Susanna Weidemann, died in 1999. Despite his family difficulties, he went on to graduate from Rogers High School in 2001, having enrolled at the Newport Area Career and Technical Center.

"I want people to remember Mike for what he was in his last years - a guy who pulled himself up by the bootstraps, thanks to the Rogers High School ROTC, and who loved the Army and wanted to make it his career,'' Miller said.

Weidemann had re-enlisted for another four years in the Army and was serving his second tour in Iraq.

Read more about the circumstances surrounding Weidemann's death.

-- Journal Staff Writer Rich Salit

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:04 PM | Comment

X-Box stabbing: Two men charged with attempted murder

ATTLEBORO -- Three men were arrested by Seekonk police early this morning after an argument over an X-Box game console resulted in a scuffle and a stabbing.

Attleboro police said the 20-year-old victim, who was not identified and whose injuries were not life-threatening, was discovered by police when they were called to 8 Holman St. around 3:35 a.m.

Police then put out a broadcast to neighboring communities seeking William E. Hancock III, 19, of 22 Frenier Ave.

Less than an hour later, Seekonk Ptlm. Thomas Strange pulled over a gray Chrysler on Central Avenue. The officer said the rear license plate was not illuminated.

He found five people in the car, none wearing their seatbelts. While he was writing citations for all five, he identified Hancock and notified Attleboro police.

Hancock and William Alvira Jr., 24, of 39 New Vista Lane, Worcester, were both charged with attempted murder.

They and Rafael Villanueva Jr., 28, of 491 South Main St. also face counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, home invasion, larceny over $250, intimidating a witness and assault in a dwelling while armed.

-- Journal staff writer C. Eugene Emery Jr.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:32 PM | Comment

Parole board, in a first, opposes casino proposal

The Rhode Island Parole Board — which has never before taken a stance on a political issue — has come out against the proposed West Warwick casino.

In the past few years, there has been “a steady stream” of gambling-related criminals before the parole board, the board said in a letter to several area newspapers. All seven members of the board signed the letter in their official capacities.

Board Chairwoman Lisa S. Holley said in an interview today that “we’ve really been watching this and seen it grow and grow and grow.”

“We have seen people — but for the gambling — would never have been in prison,” Holley said. “There are so many that have come to us who have lost their families because of gambling addictions.”

The board didn’t even take an official position on Question 2 on this year’s ballot, which would amend the Constitution to allow felons to vote after being paroled. (Holley said she and at least one other member have personally come out in support of that question.)

“We’ve never done anything like this before but we felt we needed to put something on the record because of what we see,” Holley said.

Harrah’s Entertainment and the Narragansett Indian tribe, which are trying to build the casino, said that board is using “peculiar information that is neither fact-based nor statistically significant.”

-- Journal staff writer Scott Mayerowitz

Posted by Steve Peoples at 3:31 PM | Comment

Woonsocket man's insanity plea rejected in friend's murder

PROVIDENCE — A Superior Court judge has rejected a Woonsocket man’s claim that he was legally insane when he murdered a friend with a steak knife in a Central Falls Park four years ago, the attorney general's office announced this morning.

Following a jury-waived trial this spring, Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. this week found Robert Collazo guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Brian Araujo, of Central Falls.

Collazo, now 28, will face a mandatory life sentence for his crime.

Prosecutors say on the afternoon of March 10, 2002, Collazo visited Araujo at his family’s home at 79 Cross St. The young men left the house together and headed towards Jenks Park where they planned to smoke marijuana. Before leaving, Collazo took a steak knife from the Araujo’s kitchen pantry.

When the pair arrived at the park, near its Cogswell Tower, Collazo stabbed Araujo with the knife, breaking it in two pieces, and pushed his friend down a flight of stairs.

“Despite the fact that this case was made more difficult and complicated because there was agreement that Robert Collazo does suffer from a mental illness, the defendant’s claim that he was insane while committing a vicious and murderous assault on his friend did not withstand the evidence and testimony presented at trial,” Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in a statement today.

Collazo will be sentenced on Dec. 8 in Providence County Superior Court.

-- Journal staff writer Cynthia Needham

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:43 PM | Comment

Police: Suspect to be arraigned in death of newborn

The North Providence police say they plan to charge a suspect with murder in connection with the recent death of a newborn found at a home on Lori Drive.

The police say they have obtained an arrest warrant and plan to bring the suspect, a female, to Sixth District Court, Providence, for arraignment at 2 p.m. today.

A press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the police station.

The baby was in a split-level ranch, at Lori and Karen Drive, the home of Charles and Francine Robat, and their three grown daughters.

The police have not said how the baby girl died or how the police found out there was a body inside the home. The police learned there was a dead baby in the house Monday.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Richard Dujardin

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:21 PM | Comment

Former Roger Williams chief to speak out for Chafee

PROVIDENCE -- A former chief of staff for Roger Williams Medical Center will speak at a Lincoln Chafee press conference this afternoon, the second consecutive day the incumbent Republican senator has hosted a press conference seeking media attention in his campaign's waning days.

The hospital official, Dr. Phillip O'Dowd, a former president of the hospital's medical staff, has spoken out against Chafee's opponent in recent days. The doctor said that he met three times with Sheldon Whitehouse, then the Rhode Island Attorney General, in the fall of 1999 and presented him with documents regarding possible crimes by Urciuoli, the hospital's president.

But rather than investigate, O'Dowd said, Whitehouse told him that the matter would best be handled civilly because hospital leaders did not want to press criminal charges.

Last month Urciuoli was convicted of federal corruption charges that he put a state senator, John A. Celona, on the hospital's payroll for his political influence.

Today's press conference, the second in as many days hosted by the Chafee campaign, is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Law offices of Breslin, Sweeney and Earl, on Jefferson Boulevard in Warwick.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:34 PM | Comment

Police: Pawtucket man made counterfeit casino coins / Photo

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Police display some of the counterfeit slot tokens seized when Louis "The Coin" Colavecchio was arrested.

The state police today announced the arrest of a Pawtucket man whom they say made thousands of dollars worth of counterfeit casino tokens.

Louis “The Coin” Colavecchio, 64, of 172 Argol St., Pawtucket, was charged earlier in the week with 10 counts of forgery, counterfeiting or alteration of a trademark.

This is isn't Colavecchio's first arrest for counterfeiting. In 1998 he was sentenced to 27 months in prison for making fake casino coins.

After he left prison, Colavecchio started an orthotics business, according to state police Sgt. Kevin Hawkins. “He said the business never took off, so he had to do what he had to do to survive,” Hawkins said of Colavecchio.

The police searched his Pawtucket home and seized dies, molds, chemicals and the various metals needed to manufacture slot machine tokens. They also seized $5,100 in cash.

Colavecchio appeared in District Court earlier in the week and was released on a $25,000 bond. His arrest was the result of a three-month investigation that involved authorities in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Las Vegas.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples with reports from John Hill and Karen Lee Ziner

While authorities consider Colavecchio to be an associate of organized crime, they said this case was confined to his own activities.

The process he used to duplicate the casino tokens was highly sophisticated. In fact, after his first arrest, Colavecchio worked as a paid consultant for the government -- while still in prison -- to help detect counterfeit coins.

The police say Colavecchio would take genuine tokens and melt them down, sending the melted metal to a chemist who would then analyze it to determine the proper mix of metals. He would then take impressions made from the tokens and copy them onto metal dies, according to the police. Colavecchio then bought metal in the proper mix and use the dies to duplicate the tokens, the police say.

The denominations seized from his home ranged in value from $5 to $100.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:29 PM | Comment

Former R.I. talk host DePetro fired

BOSTON -- Former Rhode Island radio talk show host John DePetro has been fired after making a derogatory comment about the weight and sexuality of Green-Rainbow party gubernatorial candidate Grace Ross.

An earlier report from The Associated Press said only that he had been suspended from WRKO-AM.

"In the context of what he said and the tone with which he said it, the comments were completely inappropriate, derogatory and will not be tolerated," Jason Wolfe, vice president of AM programming and operations, Entercom Boston, said in a statement.

Wolfe said he met with corporate staff last night after listening to the tapes and they decided to fire DePetro. He said DePetro was informed this morning.

The Associated Press reported earlier that Ross, who is openly gay, laughed when she heard about DePetro's remarks. "Big, fat? I guess that's supposed to be his way of saying he doesn't like somebody." She said it's not her place to say whether DePetro should be fired, but called the comments "wildly inappropriate."

DePetro, an Ocean State native, left Rhode Island's WHJJ-AM for WRKO in 2004. In July, DePetro was suspended by station management for using a slur normally aimed at homosexuals in reference to Matt Amorello, the former chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.

-- The Associated Press and projo.com staff

Posted by Jack Perry at 12:13 PM | Comment

Update: Police ID man who jumped from Jamestown bridge

The state police have released the name of a man whose body was recovered after he jumped from the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge this morning.

He has been identified as George Sanford, 58, of West Warwick.

Witnesses say Sanford stopped a car he was driving, got out and jumped over the railing into Narragansett Bay, according to Capt. James Swanberg of the state police.

Sanford left a note, leading the police to conclude he was despondent, according to Swanberg.

Witnesses called the police around 7:15 a.m. Police and firefighters responded, and traffic on the bridge, which connects the island of Jamestown and North Kingstown, was slowed this morning.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:53 AM | Comment

National college sailing event starts today at Roger Williams

Roger Williams University in Bristol will host a national collegiate sailing competition starting today.

The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association/Vanguard Men's and Women's Single Handed National Championship is scheduled to begin at noon.

Racing will start at 10 a.m. tomorrow and Sunday.

The public is welcome to come and watch. The starts are near the Roger Williams boathouse on the campus.

Posted by Jack Perry at 11:22 AM | Comment

Saratoga museum to get $6.5 million

North Kingstown - Independence Bank of East Greenwich, with backing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will lend the USS Saratoga Museum Foundation $6.5 million to develop a museum and a memorial at Quonset/Davisville.

The money to convert the aircraft carrier into a museum comes from the USDA's Community Facilities program funding for 2007. The government will guarantee 90 percent of the bank's loan.

U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, Governor Carcieri and Cong. Jim Langevin praised the funding at a news conference this morning.

The USS Saratoga Museum Foundation will contribute an additional $4.5 million in equity towards the project, of which more than $3.5 million has been raised so far.

Robert Catanzaro, Sr., Chairman and CEO of Independence Bank, said: “We believe this project would be of great benefit to Rhode Island, which makes the financial commitment eminently worthwhile. This project will create jobs, bring new money into the state, and provide a shot in the arm for the local economy."

Posted by Peter Phipps at 11:00 AM | Comment

Flags to be lowered for Newport soldier

PROVIDENCE -- State flags will be lowered to half-staff today in honor of Army Sgt. Michael R. Weidemann, of Newport, who was killed in Iraq on Tuesday.

Governor Carcieri issued a statement this morning thanking the 23-year-old Portsmouth native for his service.

"Today we remember the service and sacrifice of a brave Rhode Island soldier who was deeply devoted to serving our country,” Carcieri said. “Sgt. Weidemann served with honor and distinction, and we will never forget that he made the ultimate sacrifice for us."

"My wife Sue and I offer our prayers and condolences to Sgt. Weidemann’s family and friends."

Weidemann was a 2001 graduate of Rogers High School in Newport. He was an honor student and a member of the JROTC.

He was killed Tuesday in Iraq when the armored vehicle he was driving was hit by an improvised explosive device.

Weidemann is the 11th Rhode Islander to die in Iraq since 2003. Read more about him in today's Journal story.

Extra: Post a tribute and messages of condolences here.

Posted by Steve Peoples at 10:59 AM | Comment

Cranston police arrest man for Wednesday shooting

CRANSTON -- Cranston detectives have arrested a man for a shooting Wednesday on Allen Avenue that has left a man in serious condition at Rhode Island Hospital.

Michael Lynch, 35, of 60 Allen Avenue, Cranston, is scheduled for an appearance in District Court this morning on charges of assault with intent to commit a felony, murder; and assault with a dangerous weapon, a gun, according to the Cranston Police Department.

He was arrested last night at the police station, according to Maj. Ronald Blackmar.

Todd Karwoski (also known as Todd Gravelle), 41, also of 60 Allen Avenue, was shot early Wednesday outside the single-family home where the men lived. Karwoski suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

Posted by Jack Perry at 10:17 AM | Comment

Former R.I. radio host disciplined for remarks about candidate

BOSTON -- Former Rhode Island radio talk show host John DePetro has been pulled off the air after making a derogatory comment about the weight and sexuality of Green-Rainbow party gubernatorial candidate Grace Ross.

WRKO-AM pulled DePetro from his morning show today, and began an investigation into the comments, station spokesman George Regan said.

Ross, who is openly gay, laughed when she heard about DePetro's remarks. "Big, fat? I guess that's supposed to be his way of saying he doesn't like somebody." She said it's not her place to say whether DePetro should be fired, but called the comments "wildly inappropriate."

DePetro, an Ocean State native, left Rhode Island's WHJJ-AM for WRKO in 2004. In July, DePetro was suspended by station management for using a slur normally aimed at homosexuals in reference to Matt Amorello, the former chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.

-- The Associated Press

Regan said Entercom Communications, the owner of WRKO, would have a further statement today. DePetro apologized after making the remarks on-air yesterday.

"This corporation has zero tolerance for this type of nonsense," Regan said. "It will not be tolerated."

DePetro did not immediately return an e-mailed request for comment today. A man who answered the phone at the studio refused to send calls to DePetro's voicemail.

Posted by Jack Perry at 8:25 AM | Comment

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A soldier from Newport dies in Iraq; the candidates for governor debate for the final time.

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Posted by Peter Phipps at 7:37 AM | Comment

R.I. Food Bank launches holiday meal drive

PROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island Community Food Bank kicks off its holiday meal drive at 10 a.m. today with 1,500 turkeys.

Stop & Shop will deliver the frozen turkeys to the food bank at 200 Niantic Avenue, Providence, this morning. Bank of America and Paul Arpin Van Lines have also made "significant contributions" to the food drive, according to the food bank.

The food bank is asking Rhode Islanders to help with the meal drive between today and December 22 by donating a turkey or sending a check to Rhode Island Community Food Bank, 200 Niantic Avenue, Providence, R.I., 02907.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:32 AM | Comment

No flurries, but cold weather

PROVIDENCE -- With blue sky over Providence, it looks like the region has escaped the chance of sprinkles or flurries the National Weather Service forecast for early this morning.

It's certainly cold enough at 28 degrees in Providence. The sky is expected to turn partly cloudy and the temperature should reach 49 degrees with wind from the northwest at 7 to 11 mph.

The temperature is expected to drop to 28 degrees tonight and the weather service says it might issue a freeze warning.

Parts of Rhode Island, including Richmond, had a heavy frost over night.

Posted by Jack Perry at 7:00 AM | Comment

November 2, 2006

Update: Army sergeant from Newport, 23, killed in Iraq

A 23-year-old Army sergeant from Newport has been killed in Iraq, the Rhode Island National Guard announced this evening.

Sgt. Michael Weidemann, originally of Portsmouth, was killed Tuesday "while engaged in combat operations" in Iraq, the Guard said. Weidemann was driving a military vehicle while on patrol in the Anbar Province west of Baghdad when his armored vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. It is unclear if anyone else was hurt in the incident.

Weidemann, the 11th Rhode Islander to die in Iraq since 2003, graduated from Rogers High School in 2001. He was an honors student and a member of the school's JROTC program. He enlisted in the Army the month after his high school graduation.

Weidemann was a member of the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

He is the first Rhode Island soldier killed in Iraq since Moises Jazmin, a 25-year-old Providence man died in late August. He was also killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his armored vehicle.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed issued a statement this evening regarding Weidemann's death.

“This is a moment to reflect on the courage and dedication of one brave American who has given his all for this country," said the Rhode Island Democrat who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. "Our hearts go out to Sergeant Weidemann’s family and friends as they bear this terrible loss.”

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 7:12 PM | Comment

Wakefield man killed in Gloucester fishing accident

GLOUCESTER, Mass. -- The body of a fisherman found floating in Gloucester Harbor today has been identified as a Rhode Islander.

Essex County authorities say a fishing company's security camera shows Robert Harris trying to jump from a pier to the fishing boat on which he worked.

Instead, the 44-year-old Wakefield man fell about 30 feet down into the water. His body was discovered shortly before noon floating in the harbor off State Fish Pier.

Authorities say foul play is not suspected.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:24 PM | Comment

WPRI poll: Casino opponents ahead by 13 points

PROVIDENCE -- The Narragansett Indian casino referendum is trailing by 13 points just days before Tuesday’s election, according to a public opinion survey conducted by Fleming & Associates and released tonight by Channel 12, WPRI-TV.

"Thirteen is a big number and I think the Narragansetts are in a very difficult position," said Joe Fleming. "They are really running out of time and they have tried everything to get their message out. They have spent a lot of money and they have done media and tried everything."

The random sample of 400 registered voters statewide puts opposition to the proposed West Warwick casino at 52 percent, support at 39 percent, with 9 percent undecided. The poll interviews were done between Oct. 27 and 30.

Opposition to the casino is deepest among older voters. Among those 60 years old and over, 57 percent oppose the casino, 32 percent support it and 11 percent are undecided.

Among those 40 to 59, 51 percent are opposed, 40 percent are in favor and 9 percent are undecided. Younger voters are more supportive; 48 percent of those 18 to 39 support it, 45 percent are opposed and 7 percent are undecided.

-- Journal staff writer Scott MacKay

Posted by Steve Peoples at 6:21 PM | Comment

Carcieri, Fogarty debate tonight for last time

PROVIDENCE -- During the gubernatorial campaign, Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty has fought with Governor Carcieri over everything from college tuition costs to Carcieri's ties to President Bush, who's deeply unpopular in heavily Democratic Rhode Island.

Still, Democrat Fogarty is trailing the Republican incumbent in the polls. Tonight, he gets one last opportunity to debate Carcieri, just five days before the general election.

Political analysts said the debate is Fogarty's last change to differentiate himself from Carcieri, with whom he shares many political positions.

Tonight's debate will be aired live on NBC 10 at 7 p.m.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:55 PM | Comment

More R.I. Guard members going back to Mideast

CRANSTON -- The Rhode Island National Guard is planning to send another 27 soldiers to the Middle East next week, according to an announcement released today by Major General Robert T. Bray.

Currently, 48 members of Rhode Island Air National Guard's 143rd Airlift Wing are serving in the Iraq conflict, expected to return in January of next year. They will be joined by 27 additional soldiers this Sunday.

The deployment marks the last scheduled rotation for the state's Air National Guard, which has been providing "flight crews, maintenance, and support personnel" in the Middle East since January 2003, acording to today's announcement.

The soldiers generally serve in the region for 60-day rotations. Some members of the Rhode Island group have deployed six times since 2003, according to the Guard.

The public is invited to a send-off ceremony in the All-Ranks Club at Quonset Air National Guard base Sunday at 8 a.m.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 5:03 PM | Comment

Democrat York backs GOP Chafee

PROVIDENCE -- Three-time Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Myrth York endorsed U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee today, telling a horde of media gathered at an afternoon press conference that Chafee would be the first Republican she voted for in a federal election in 40 years.

"I cannot imagine voting for any other Republican than Lincoln Chafee," she said. "What I know is I want Lincoln Chafee in Washington for the next six years representing me...Senator Chafee brings a unique perspectie on how to solve problems and work together."

York is the second political figure with strong ties to the Democratic Party to endorse Chafee in recent weeks. The first was former U.S. Attorney Margaret Curran, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, Curran sat next to Chafee at a recent press conference similar to today's in the same downtown restaurant, Federal Reserve.

Chafee today echoed themes from one of his recent television advertisements, saying that voters like York face a "real conflict" in deciding between the candidate or the party when voting next Tuesday. Chafee's opponent, Sheldon Whitehouse, argues that Rhode Island must elect a Democratic senator to help shift the balance of power in Washington.

"In this political debate we've gotten away from character, and I think character is important," Chafee said.

York was asked whether her endorsement of Chafee might be attributed to "sour grapes" over the 2002 gubernatorial election, when she and Whitehouse were competitors. York won the primary, but lost the election to incumbent GOP Governor Carcieri.

"It has nothing to do with what happened four years ago," York said.

A Zogby International poll released today shows Chafee trailing his Democratic challenger Whitehouse by 14 points.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 4:49 PM | Comment

State seizes nearly 9,500 cigarette packs in crackdown

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The police this week netted the largest stash of contraband cigarettes to date at a pair of Wakefield convenience stores in the state’s continuing campaign to crack down on illegal tobacco sales.

The police and state tax officials confiscated 9,466 packs of name-brand, clove and natural cigarettes from the South Kingstown Convenience Store and Wakefield Food Mart, both owned by Mian M. Aslam, said David Thomas, of the state Division of Taxation.

The police have accused Aslam of intending to sell the cigarettes and then pocket the state-tax money. The cigarettes, with an estimated retail value of $56,779, would have brought in $27,072 in state taxes, Thomas said. The state alleges that fake tax stamps had been affixed to the packs, he said.

It was the state’s largest seizure yet. In August, the police discovered 1,500 packs of unstamped cigarettes hidden in a drop ceiling at Bada Bing Pizza And More, tax officials said. Weeks later officers removed cartons of unmarked cigarettes from a Cumberland convenience store.

Packs of cigarettes sold in the state must have a tax stamp on the bottom to show that retailers have paid the state's cigarette tax. Those costs are then passed on to consumers.

``We have a problem. There’s no question about it,’’ Thomas said. ``It’s lucrative. That’s why people are getting into it.’’

The state Division of Taxation hired full-time inspector James Galvin, a retired police officer, in June to deal with increasing complaints about people buying unstamped cigarettes brought in from New Hampshire, Thomas said.

Galvin was doing a routine inspection at South Kingstown Convenience Store, 540 Kingstown Rd., on Tuesday, when he noticed that the cigarette stamps were counterfeit, Thomas said. He found 600 more cartons in the basement.
Galvin called the police to seize the contraband tobacco and learned Aslam also owned Wakefield Food Mart, at 79 Old Tower Hill Rd., he said. Officers confiscated more similarly stamped packs and others without or with Massachusetts stamps there.

The police arrested Aslam, 47, of 854 Middlebridge Rd., at 9:45 p.m. last night and charged him with two felony counts of forging stamps, a misdemeanor charge for operating without a retail sales permit, and selling unstamped cigarettes, a misdemeanor, said Capt. Jeffrey Allen.

Aslam was held overnight and appeared today in District Court, Wakefield, where he was released on $10,000 personal recognizance.

Posted by Jack Perry at 2:16 PM | Comment

Reed: Democratic Congress could push changes in Iraq

WASHINGTON -- Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed and Michigan Sen. Carl Levin stepped up their attacks today on U.S. policy in Iraq, painting Tuesday's elections as a chance to change the course of the war by putting Democrats in charge of Congress.

“Iraq is rapidly becoming a chaotic, failed state,” said Reed, who sits with fellow Democrat Levin on the Senate Armed Services Committee and has made repeated visits to the war theater.

Levin said the House and Senate elections will be "a major watershed event." A Democratic Congress would be ``very much determined to put greater pressure on the Iraqis'' to make political compromises that might improve stability by sharing power and resources among all of that nation's warring religious and ethnic groups.

The election of Democratic majorities to the House and Senate would also send ``a very strong message'' to President Bush, said Levin, who stands to become chairman of the Armed Services Committee if the GOP loses its Senate majority.

The election of Democratic majorities will bring an ``opportunity to lay out a different approach'' to the war, said Reed, who co-authored with Levin a Senate resolution last summer calling on Mr. Bush to begin at least some troop withdrawals from Iraq this year if military conditions so warrant.

Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee cast the lone Republican vote for the Reed-Levin resolution, which was defeated in June.

Democratic candidate Sheldon Whitehouse said he would have voted for the Reed-Levin resolution. Whitehouse also said he would have voted for a measure by Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., that would have forced the withdrawal of U.S. troops by July 2007.

Reed, Levin and Chafee all opposed that measure.

(Read more about the positions Chafee and Whitehouse have taken on Iraq.)

Reed and Levin covered much familiar ground in their telephone news conference with reporters, stressing what they have long depicted as the need to complement U.S. military muscle in Iraq with political action to engender popular support for the new government.

Their message has become more explicitly political, however, with the approach of the final congressional elections of the Bush presidency.

-- Journal staff writer John Mulligan

Posted by Kate Bramson at 1:42 PM | Comment

Frank Beazley, advocate for disabled, honored for leadership

CRANSTON -- Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty was among those who praised advocate, poet, and artist Frank Beazley during an awards ceremony today hosted by one of Rhode Island’s leading disabilities organizations.

Beazley, 77, has lived at Zambarano Hospital in Burrillville since 1967, when an accident left him permanently paralyzed.

``I’ve had the privilege to know Frank not only in his role as the head of Patients for Progress at Zambarano Hospital but as a friend for the past 16 years. And there’s no finer person that I know,’’ Fogarty said.

The Community Provider Network of Rhode Island presented Beazley with its Josie Avery Leadership Award, in honor of the late Jo-Ann Elizabeth Avery, a longtime advocate for the developmentally disabled. Several hundred people attended the morning-long ceremony at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet.

Beazley’s life’s story was told in The Journal’s recent 12-part series, ``The Growing Season.’’ More than 400 readers reacted to the series in calls, letters, emails and Web postings.

Read the series.

-- Journal staff writer G. Wayne Miller

Posted by Jack Perry at 1:14 PM | Comment

New Zogby poll puts Whitehouse up 14 points

Just five days before Election Day, Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse leads the incumbent U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee by 14 points, according to a poll released today by the national independent pollster Zogby International.

While Whitehouse has led consistently in recent polls, his lead over the Republican Chafee has never been larger than 10 points.

Whitehouse leads 53 percent to 39 percent with a margin of error of 4 percentage points, according to Zogby. The survey of 601 likely voters was taken Oct. 24 to Oct 30.

A new local poll is expected to be released tonight.

-- Projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples

Posted by Steve Peoples at 12:10 PM | Comment

Former Beacon executive released after arraignment

Former Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. executive David R. Clark pleaded not guilty to five felony counts of conspiracy, insurance fraud and computer crime at his arraignment this morning in Kent County Superior Court.

Clark, 57, charged as a result of investigations stemming from the unfolding Beacon Mutual Insurance scandal, was fired from his position as the company's vice president of loss prevention and underwriting in April after an audit of the company found evidence that Beacon gave preferential treatment to some of its largest policy holders.

As his wife, Pamela Clark, watched from the gallery, Clark entered his plea before Associate Justice Vincent A. Ragosta. He is accused of not only conspiring to commit insurance fraud but also attempting to cover up evidence of the crime by blocking investigators' access to computer data.

After a quick exchange between attorneys, the judge and the defendant, Clark was released on $10,000 personal recognizance. A pre-trial conference was scheduled for December 5.

Correction: An earlier item incorrectly stated Clark's age.

-- Journal staff writer Arthur Kimball-Stanley

Posted by Kate Bramson at 12:08 PM | Comment

CVS stock flat in early trading

The day after a $21-billion deal that could transform the pharmacy business, shares of CVS Corp. show few signs of recovery from yesterday's sudden drop.

In late-morning trading, CVS was trading up 9 cents, or about .3 percent, at $29.15.

Yesterday, the Woonsocket drugstore chain's shares fell more than 7 percent as investors worried about its purchase of pharmacy benefits manager Caremark Rx Inc.

Posted by at 11:53 AM | Comment

Man stabbed in Providence's West End

PROVIDENCE – A man who was stabbed in the back this morning in the West End has been taken to Rhode Island Hospital.

Emergency crews were called at 9:10 a.m. to the corner of Dexter and Althea streets, according to James Taylor, chief of communications for the Providence Fire Department.

No information on the man’s identity or condition are yet available.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Kate Bramson at 10:18 AM | Comment

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The $21 billion CVS deal and follow-up stories on Sen. Kerry's "botched joke" lead today's newspaper.